Amourshipping : Love, loss & Loyalty
by QuirkQuartz
Summary: It's been two years since Serena last saw Ash, but her feelings to him have remained unchanged. Her loyalty to him is unshakeable. Jumping at the chance to travel again, Ash sets off from his two year hiatus. But When put through emotional turmoil, and things get difficult, people's loyalty is tested. Amourshipping, Ash X Serena, SatoSere, AASL, Plot,T for language and violence(?).
1. Loneliness

Serena took a moment to just admire the countryside in front of her. Halfway between The Battle Cheateu and Lumiouse City, the route in between was a beautiful grassland she hadn't had time to admire the last few times she had come through here. Always on the move, busy rushing from place to place. It was like seeing the landscape for the first time. It was beautiful, to say the least. Flowers of various colour and species were scattered all over the trail, and had attracted a wide variety of Pokemon, like Flabebè, Combee and other peaceful bug and grass type Pokemon. Above her were a crowd of Jumpluff, allowing the wind to carry them wherever it went.

She had been moving back to Lumiose City to see if she could visit Clemont and Bonnie. She had parted ways with them for a few months now, not having seen them in all that time. Clemont had returned to his duties as a Gym Leader, and Bonnie, despite her protests, had had to remain with her brother. It had been a tearful goodbye for both of them, so Serena was looking forward to seeing them again. Although it was an exhausting walk, so she was taking a break now. She had been trying to go further in shorter periods of time, and it had tired her out.

She sighed. Traveling on her own was... Kind of upsetting. She had grown accustomed to traveling with friends for a while now, only now traveling without a group for a few months now. It felt isolated. She didn't like it. She questioned how some people managed to travel on their own. It was kind of lonely.

Especially since Ash had returned to Kanto.

"Here." A can of soda, cold on touch, rested itself on her shoulder. Startled for a brief moment, she quickly took ahold of it.

"Miette, why?..." She asked, annoyed.

"You were daydreaming. Again." Miette grinned, sitting down next to Serena.

Miette, whom had been one of Serena's biggest rivals over the last three years, was now one of Serena's closest friends. Their relationship had improved dramatically since the days Serena traveled with Ash. The two got along much better whenever they had run into one another, with Miette even joining Serena on her trip back to Lumiouse City. The two had not only settled differences they had had, they had accepted those differences, and gotten to know each other past them.

"My daydreaming or not, why'd you feel the need to try and freak me out?" Serena questioned, still kind of annoyed.

"Oh relax." Miette smiled, taking a drink of the can of soda she had acquired for herself. "I could have poured water over your head."

"What a pleasant alternative." Serena said, sarcasm thick in her voice.

"Aww, don't be like that." Miette said in a teasing tone. "I wonder how quickly you'd have gotten over that if I had been Ash."

Serena blushed lightly. "Well... You weren't."

"Oh? Don't tell me you aren't in love with him anymore?" Miette asked, smiling and tilting her head. She had long abandoned her claim to shaving romantic feelings towards Ash, and just cut out any pretences. Now, one of her favourite pass-times was teasing Serena about her very real feelings towards the raven haired Kantoean trainer. "I'm shocked!" She continued. "I though you were much more faithful!" She was deliberately acting overly dramatic, like she was in some sort of movie or drama school.

Serena blushed and sighed. "And I thought you had gotten past the teasing thing for a while."

"You should know me better than that."

"Yeah..."

"Level with me though." Miette said. Her voice dropped all hints of teasing and joking, and she questioned the girl next to her. "Do you still love him?"

"Of course I do!" Serena said, rather loudly, and going slightly pink in the face. "I know I hide my feelings for him -"

"Poorly." Miette interrupted.

Serena sighed. "Yeah, poorly... But still... At doesn't mean they aren't there..."

Miette sighed as well. She looked into the sky, watching the Jumpluff float away. Once a few seconds had passed, she sighed once again, this time, in relaxation. "You know, I'm pretty sure he loves you as well."

"You think?..."

Miette looked at her friend. "Of course. I mean, I don't know him that well. I know you a lot better than I know him, but I'm sure he has feelings for you, Serena."

Serena looked at the ground. "I wish you were right.." Depressingly, Serena doubted all of Miette's claims. It wasn't particularly a case of her having little confidence in herself. She had gained plenty of self confidence during her travels with Ash, and she wasn't letting that go any time soon. It was more that she doubted that she was good enough for Ash, for one reason or another.

"Why aren't I right?" Miette inquired. "Look at you for one. I find you cute, and I'm a girl myself! I can't think of a dress of look you haven't managed to pull off. If I was, uh... You know... I'd... Uh..."

Serena grinned. "Is this your very poor and roundabout way of a confession?" Whenever she could, Serena really enjoyed turning Miette's teases back around to her.

Miette blushed at the mere thought! "You wish!" She smiled and laughed. "And there's my next point. You're funny and nice, loyal and kind. Quite honestly, I'm amazed you don't have an entire legion of your fans following you as we speak."

"That sounds creepy." Serena shuddered.

"Still though, it underlines the point." Miette said. "You still talk to him, don't you?"

Serena held up the tablet she always carried. Inside was a messaging application she used to talk to Ash frequently. "Uh huh."

Miette smiled. "You never know."

"I wish I had half the confidence over this you did, Miette." Serena said, weakly smiling at her friend.

"You'll see someday." Miette told her, smiling.

"Thanks..." Serena said, her smile gaining strength.

Miette giggled, and looked towards her watch. "Drink up. If we're gonna make it to the next Pokemon centre before nightfall, we had better get a move on." She told her, before guzzling down her entire drink in one, forced gulp that left her breathless after.

* * *

How right was Miette, Serena wondered as the two walked on. Serena tugged at one of her hair strands. She didn't think she was cute, or pretty. She wasn't sure if she was funny, and she didn't know about anything else her blue haired friend had mentioned. It had been two years since Serena had seen Ash. Now 16, she wondered just how much of her had changed since she had seen him last. She wasn't sure at all. All she knew that remained the same were her feelings towards the raven haired Kantoean trainer, but she didn't know if these feelings were reciprocated.

And it wasn't just that either. She had no idea how much Ash had changed, appearance wise and personality wise. She didn't care about his looks, so that bothered her little. What did bother her was if he had changed so much that she didn't recognise that silly, impulsive, energetic and good hearted trainer she knew. She wasn't against him changing. Change was unavoidable, especially in as two year time gap, but what worried her was that maybe, just maybe, he had changed into something she didn't recognise. She shook her head. She was overthinking things. She hoped.

"Hey!" Miette clicked her fingers in front of Serena's face multiple times before snapping her back onto the plains of reality again.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm back. What's up?" Serena asked, snapping back into focus.

"You've been spacing out a lot recently. You doing okay?" Miette asked, still smiling, but this one somehow gave off an air of concern at the same time. "Something on your mind?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. How much further until the Pokemon centre?" Serena asked, going lightly pink, and trying to dodge the question.

"About, I don't know, 20 minutes? You aren't getting out of this that easily." Miette told her. "What's going on?" It took her a second before it clicked. "Oh! You really were thinking about your knight in shining armour!"

"Be quiet..." Serena sighed in embarrassment. "Why are you so perceptive?..."

"Because you're about as readable and predictable as a kiddie book." Miette teased.

"Gee, thanks, Miette." Serena said, sarcastically.

"You're worrying over nothing. Truth be told, it's starting to frustrate me." Miette sighed. "Come on, let's just get under a roof before you start fainting."

"When have I ever fainted about Ash?" Serena questioned, much sharper than she had intended.

"I was referring to the heat, exhaustion and lack of sleep, but I suppose saying Ash is shorter. Like I said, predictable." Miette said, turning back to the pathway, smiling with smug satisfaction.

Serena blushed and sighed again. "Alright, fine..."

Serena quickened her pace until she was side by side with Miette, turning to face her companion, she asked a casual question. "So, what's your plan when we get to Lumious City?"

Miette sighed and bit her thumb lightly. "I'm not sure. It's mostly a stopping point for me. I suppose I could see one of those Pokemon Musical Performances that they're doing as part of a Unova region culture exhibit. After that, I'm not sure. As far as I know, nothing else is going on in the city for the moment."

"Nothing certain then?" Serena asked.

Miette shook her head. "Nope."

"Same with me." Serena admitted. "I wasn't even really expecting to run into you at Geosenge Town. This entire trip has been improvised for me."

"Not too exciting when showcases haven't been announced in a while, huh?" Miette said with a sigh. "Not a lot to do."

"No. I've made a few PokeVision videos, but that's effectively all I've done in terms of performing for a few months. It doesn't feel fair to the Pokemon, never mind the trainers who kept performing at the Showcases." Serena said. Pokemon showcases had recently stopped being televised in the Kalos region. Had they not been canceled, Serena would undoubtedly be training for one right now. They had been off the air for several months, but had kept promising trainers and viewers that they would return to air shortly. Serena had taken the opportunity to travel a bit.

"Did they give a reason?" Miette asked.

"Something about contracts that the televised showcases needed to fix? Or copyrights? I don't know." Serena admitted. "Either way, we haven't got much else to be doing. I dunno. I may go visit my mother in a few days."

"Sounds cosy."

"I wish."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Serena said, yawning, tears welling up as she did so. "Tired, that's all."

* * *

Serena practically collapsed onto the bed in her room at the Pokemon centre. A huge combination of exhaustion, emotional and physical, heat, and what felt like a bit of depression had tired her out completely. Emotionally and physically, she was effectively dead to the world.

Miettes teasing about Ash hadn't helped. She hadn't even seen him in years, yet she still felt this strongly towards him. She had to wonder if she was normal. Did it really make sense to have feelings this strong for someone she hadn't even seen in nearly two years?

Whenever she had had the courage to talk to someone about it, be it anyone other than her closest friends like Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, and now, Miette, she had been met with an odd look, and a sort of, what Serena could only describe as, strangled noise. Those who didn't stop there, basically told her to get over it. After a while, Serena had almost started to believe it herself. But she couldn't just drop these feelings like that. She honestly doubted that she could ever drop these feelings at all.

She sighed and covered her eyes with her left arm, flopped lazily over her. She was going to just lay there. She was tired. She needed sleep. At this point she couldn't even be bothered to change into her pyjamas. Well, it was more accurate to say that she just didn't care.

At that moment, she heard her tablet buzz, and saw the light from its notifications from the corner of her, now revealed to be, uncovered eye. She sighed. She was 100% certain that was Miette again, getting in one last tease in before she turned in for the night. It wouldn't be the first time. Serena had even questioned her how this benefitted her, seeing as she wasn't even gonna see her flustering. Miette said with a smile, that her response had been that she was flustering in front of her now, which Serena had been caught out by.

Serena sighed, and lazily reached for the tablet. It would bug her if she didn't know what the notification had been about. She held it in front of her face and moved her arm.

It was from Ash.

"Ash?..." Serena questioned quietly to herself. Curious, she tapped on the response.

'Hey Serena.' It read out. Serena noticed it was structured more like a letter than a friendly instant message. It seemed a bit formal, especially for Ash. But that only furthered her curiosity. He tiredness from a moment ago had been shoved to the side for now. This was more important.

'How you been?' The message continued. 'Sorry for messaging you so late. But I just got word. My "work" here is finished, so I'm pretty much free to go now, and I've decided, I'm heading back over to Kalos!'

Serena shot upright. "Wait, what?" She asked aloud, double checking the sentence, almost convinced that Ash had missed a letter or apostrophe or something, before the realisation settled, and a huge grin appeared on her previously dreary face. "He's... He's coming back to Kalos?..."

'There's a lot I haven't done in Kalos. Besides, I kinda miss traveling with you.' Serena read on, feeling her heart nearly explode at that sentence. She doubted there was anything being insinuated behind it, but still. 'I'll be in Lumiouse City in a couple of days. If you wanna meet up and you can make it, that'd be awesome. If you can't, or don't wanna, I understand. Just wanted to let you know. At any rate, I've got to finish up here before I catch the next flight outta here. Hopefully I'll see you soon.' At the end, Ash had written his name, with a "^_^" icon at the end. Whatever it was about it, it gave the entire thing a sense of informality again.

Serena put the tablet on the bed, and retread the entire thing a second time, closely. Had she made a mistake? She must have done. Once she re read it, she was convinced. Serena felt excitement building up in her chest, squeezing her hands together before she had to stifle an excited squeal. She could hear her own heart thump in her chest, running amok of its own accord. She could feel her face heating up and going red. She put both her hands on her checks, the hands correlating which cheek to which side. She had to tell herself, and force herself, to calm down. Her previous tiredness has just been thrown to the wind by a surge of excitement - fuelled adrenaline.

She wanted to write a reply immediately, telling him she'd be there, it she'd had to slow her heart rate down, and that took some doing in itself. She just couldn't believe it. Why was he coming back now? In fact, why was he coming back at all? How long would he be here for? Serena didn't care though. She was simply ecstatic to know She was finally going to see Ash again!

* * *

Okie dokie guys, this was chapter one of Loyalty! This took a long time to start, even for me. That's because, as I'm sure many of you know, loyalty is, for me, the single most important trait in a person, and one that's been shoved to the side a lot recently in society. If you ask me, a world where everyone hold the concepts of loyalty and faithfulness close to heart is a world I could tolerate living in. Loyalty, this fanfic, I want to be my showing on what I consider loyalty is. There's gonna be a few incidents you may not expect, a couple of subplots, and more. I'm not even sure how long this will last. I don't have a plan to end it like I did One Day Off. It'll end when I think it's run its course.

So, on to the more personal info, as I like to do at the end of these chapters. Recently, I've been tasked with making two original characters for my college course, with the pretence of them being characters from The legend of Zelda franchise. Good for me, but only in art style. I know nothing whatsoever about Zelda as a franchise. So I handed in one of them today, and was told it was one of the screens of the course that year - which basically means it was essentially perfect, and is used as an example. Needless to say I'm happy about it, so a lot of effort has been going into that for the past few weeks. Personally I'm not a huge fan of my drawings, I don't think they're that good, and considering I'd like to publish a manga someday, that's a freaking big issue. So, I practice a lot. You can follow my Tumblr, GamingEmpire, to see some.

Onto a much more... Personal preference thing. Fondantshipping. It's a thing, and it's coming very soon. You may notice I had a few implied Fondantshipping hints with this chapter, and truth be told, that was mostly me practicing seeing if their interactions were realistic, so I guess that makes this a sort of beta testing, huh? Well, the Fondantshipping fanfic is basically a late birthday present to a close friend of mine, whom with I gush about Fondant a bit too much. But yes, apparently, according to google, I'm the only person writing FondantShipping fanfics. Which is even more weird, considering this is going to be a lemon. Yep, I'm breaking my one underlining rule here for this fanfic. So, damn, looks like this is happening. Don't wanna read it? That's perfectly fine, I do not expect anyone here to read it at all, I'm just saying this so no one becomes concerned I've just turned into a yuri account. No, I will occasionally write Yuri, even more occasionally, lemons. Although admittedly, it would be nice if this fanfic caused a Fondantshipping boom. I'm gonna be real upset if I loose followers over this and the fondant community gets only my fanfic. It'd be nice to have a bit more stuff over there, but now I am complaining. Just know, your choice, I don't expect anyone to read it. It's a guilty pleasure more than anything else.

Also, finally, my birthday is on the 1st December. In a couple of weeks, I will be 17, so that's gonna be... Interesting, to say the least. I'd like to make my 17th year my year of creativity, so, I'd like to engage with you guys more often, exchange works, do team up projects, and work on my drawings and YouTube channel more. I'd love all you guys to join me in those if you'd like. I started a new YouTube channel, TheGamingEmpire, so if you wanna join the fun there, come on down!

All that aside, I guess that's it from me. I do hope you enjoyed Loyalty chapter one, and hope you're looking forward to the next chapter. Let's make this one a big one, guys. The more follows and favourites, reviews and the likes this gets, the longer I'll make the story, because you guys deserve it for being so awesome and following me this long. I'm grateful that you all choose to spend some time of your day to read the ramblings of an insane 16 year old guy operating out of England. I can't thank you enough ^_^

So as always, I hope you enjoy, and I'll see you in whatever I wrote next. See you all!


	2. Excitement

"You're serious?"

"Yep!"

Miette looked surprised for a moment, more in disbelief herself. She was a bit surprised Ash was going to be returning back to Kalos, especially seeing as her and Serena had been talking about it the previous day. It all seemed unbelievably convenient. But then she grinned. As far as she was concerned, this proved her correct. "Didn't I tell you he'd come back?"

Serena hadn't listened. She had been too excited to listen. She had instead been giggling happily to herself and clutching her tablet close to her chest. Since the previous night, she had been so excited she had had trouble getting to sleep due to her sheer anticipation. But she was getting ahead of herself. She still had to wait for him for another day or two. But her excitement couldn't just be contained like that.

"I guess that changes your plans?" Miette said, raising a quizzical eyebrow. Despite her skepticism and sarcastic remarks, she was truly happy for her friend.

"Yep~!" Serena replied to Miette with a smile.

"Changes mine too." Miette said with a huff, and placed one hand on her hip, and lightly bit her finger on her other hand. "Guess I'll come say hi too. Besides, I... Kinda have to apologise for the whole, y'know, flirting deal."

"I don't think Ash even noticed." Serena said, smiling at the memories. At the time, she had been angered and frustrated, but looking back, the events were quite comical.

"True, but do you think he'll be the same?" Miette inquired. "I mean, he could be a lot more... Perceptive? Or, I dunno, calmer?"

"He seems like the same Ash I know." Serena defended, holding the tablet to Miette for her to read.

Miette took hold of the tablet and scanned Ashs message, and Serena's over-enthusiastic text message reply. "That's just text though. It can be difficult to tell someone's personality via text." She said, handing Serena back her tablet. "Granted, I doubt he's changed too much, but still."

"But still, what?" Serena asked, with a raised eyebrow. It sounded like more like a demand than a question. For a second, it reminded Miette of the movies where a grunt would question his Yakuza boss.

Miette made a hissing noise as she sharply inhaled. "I dunno, just, be prepared for that I guess. He does seem like the same Ash, but heck, look at the structure of his message even. I doubt Ash two years ago would have given such a structured message."

"So maybe he matured a bit." Serena put forward. "Haven't we?"

"Good point..." Miette conceded. "Well, I guess we'll see in a few days."

"I..." Serena sighed. "I know that he may have changed... It's been years since I last saw him. It would be stupid not to expect him to have changed a little. But... It's still gotta be the same Ash at heart, right?"

"Hey, I doubt he has actually changed much. I'm just saying, it is a possibility." Miette sighed, trying to make her friend feel better. For a brief moment, Miette wished she hadn't brought it up, but she then smirked. "I guess I'll come see him with you. Maybe I'll see how I feel~" She then burst out laughing at Serena's horrified expression. "I'm only kidding! You're so easy to tease!"

Serena sighed again, only this one was much louder, and more heavy that before. "Could we just... Set off, please?" She asked, now feeling more tired than she had been the previous night just by having this conversation.

* * *

In Lumious city that evening, a police officer patrolled around an old warehouse. The officer, called Kazuto, had been patrolling non stop for the last few hours, going in a huge circle around the building. At his side, his Pokemon partner, an Arcainine. He sighed and yawned, reaching for his radio. "Captain, this is Kazuto. Perimeter secured, over."

"Kazuto, this is the captain. Keep an eye out and check in on the next hour, Over" Came back the reply. Kazuto felt himself get that little bit more angry, but sighed. "Roger that, Captain. Out." He then put the radio on his belt. "Not like you haven't given me the exact same order the last five times I checked in, but whatever, not like I have to be up early."

His Arcainine sighed along with him. It was also tired of patrolling.

"Come on Arcanine. I'm getting some grub." Kazuto said with a loud yawn, making his way to a duffle bag he had brought with him. Inside it was full of preserving foods, including bread and a flask, full of coffee, just what Kazuto loved to have when on patrol. The bag had been tied and coded, so it would have been impossible to have had his foods taken from him. He typed in the code, and opened the bag, happily taking out the flask and bread.

"Arcainine, you mind?" He asked. His Arcanine nodded for him, and he placed the flask upright in the ground. His Arcainine used a very light flamethrower on the flask, enough to heat it up to a warm temperature for its partner. Kazuto smiled and took hold of the flask. "Thanks, Arcainine." Kazuto thanked, and now placing a bowl of Pokemon food in a dish for his partner. His partner Pokemon smiled and began to eat with speed and plenty of enthusiasm. Walking on patrol for five hours straight had built up an appetite that Arcainine needed to sate.

"Takin a break, are you, Kazuto?"

Kazuto shot up like a bolt of lightning in surprise, reacting to the ominous voice instantly and quickly, turning within half a second. Upon recognising the face of his friend, he relaxed. "Francis, I swear to god..."

Francis just laughed. "Sorry kid, was too great an opportunity."

"You sounded like the sergeant..."

"Like my impressions?"

"Not really." Kazuto sighed. "You hungry?" He threw over a bread ball to Francis, who caught it in his right hand.

"Bread?" Francis raised an eyebrow and walked over to sit next to the younger officer, "What, no butter or anything?"

"No need."

"Whys that? Isn't it boring?"

Kazuto took a bite of his bread. "Not eating it for the taste. The human brain can function so long as it has glucose, meaning I can stay awake for longer... And right about now, that's the only thing keeping me awake..."

Francis shrugged. "I don't see why we couldn't just have it with some jam, but whatever kid. You're quite the eccentric." He took a bite of his bread ball, which was surprisingly good. "So, how're you enjoying the force?"

Kazuto swallowed his mouthful of food and sighed. "Aside from these night shifts, yeah, I'm enjoying it."

"They get easier" Francis said. "You'll get used to them after a few more months."

"You mean I've got more of these to do?"

"Plenty."

Kazuto sighed heavily. "I hate night shift... Why're we even here, anyway?"

"You mean philosophically or..."

"No, I mean this warehouse, it's a three story building in Lumious City. Doesn't seem like anything important is in here, least not on the outside." Kazuto took a drink of his coffee before continuing his thought. "Far as I can tell, we're guarding the place from stray Rattata."

"Didn't you pay attention during the briefing?"

"I got called in by the captain last minute."

"I guess Harper couldn't make it." Muttered Francis. "Well, apparently there's a science team or something in the warehouse."

"And they need all this security?"

"Must be something big going down."

"No, no. No science team needs a police guard the size of a small army. This isn't big, it's freaking revolutionary." Kazuto said, biting his thumb. "But it looks like they won't tell us grunts that."

"Guess not." Francis said with a chuckle. "Well, I'm gonna get on patrol again. Don't wanna get caught by the sergeant. Trust me, that won't end well."

Kazuto scratched Arcainine behind the ears and sighed. "I suppose. Damn it..."

When Kazuto stood up, his entire body felt heavy. Like it would barely respond to what his brain commanded. Once he stood up, he had to literally fight his body to stay upright. A battle he couldn't win. He found himself crashing into the ground seconds after he had stood up, unable to move.

The same had happened to Francis. He couldn't move either. Pinned to the ground, by thin air, apparently.

A loud metallic thud slammed into the ground next to them. A looming figure accompanied the thud, acting tall, and mighty. "That enough Gravity. Bronzong, now use Hypnosis."

The last thing Kazuto saw before passing out to the hypnotic trance the move came with, was a small group of shadowy figures emerging from the bushes. Organised. Coordinated. Kazuto tried his best to see the face of the figure standing above him, but all he saw was his mouth. And the only thing that revealed was a sadistic smile. "Sweet dreams." The figure told him, before raising his foot, and dropping it into Kazuto's face. Blackness ensued.

* * *

The next morning, Lumiose City woke up to a smoke trail, leading up into the sky.

* * *

And so ends chapter two, Excitement. What's going on in Lumiouse City I wonder? Looks like you'll only find out if you stick around ^_^

Was really happy to see the positive responses to this fanfic. Glad to see you're all behind this one ^_^ I'm gonna try and surpass every other writer there is on with this one. Call it arrogant, I like to consider it ambitious. Thanks to your guys kind words, I have the ambition to really go for this one. This is gonna be a long one for you guys, a bare 15 chapter minimum.

Expect my next chapter next week. Either Monday or Wednsday most likely. Tuesday is my 17th, so Ima be relaxing and enjoying myself.

Either way guys, just a quite public announcement for you all. To the people who are really dedicated to my profile - Please calm down! I'm just a guy, you don't need to be so formal and apologetic to me when I dont answer, or you, as someone put it 'overstep your boundaries'. There isn't a single one of you out there I hate, or even feel remote anguish to, since the little "purge" we had. We're all friends here, no need to feel so formal to me. We're all good. I'm just glad you're all here for the ride ^_^

So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll be seeing you guys next time. See ya!


	3. Melancholy

"Noivern, Sonicboom!"

The huge Dragon typed Bat Pokemon seemed to inhale, before expelling that air, disrupting the sound waves int he air, and turning it into a heavily concentrated attack. The watching audience, filled with children, from ages 6 - 10, covered their ears at the loud noise. The attack rippled through the air, completely obliterating the wooden targets set up for it, lost into a billow of dust and smoke. One shard of wood flew back towards the trainers foot. The black raven haired trainer picked up the wood, and tossed it into the air, and caught it on its way down. He then held it up for his audience to see - It had been a totally clean strike, the wood was practically perfectly cut into a diamond like shard. The trainer grinned as he showed the children the perfect clean cut, their faces captivated. The trainers name was Ash.

"See, this is the type of power a Pokemon can achieve, and this is barely the tip of the iceberg." Ash told them. At this point, his Noivern landed next to him, smiling at his trainers praise, even if it was indirect. Ash patted his Dragon in the head. "I had Noivern hold back quite a bit. If he was going full blast, there's no doubt he could knock down an entire building if he wanted to."

"Is that because Noivern is super big?" One kid asked, wide eyed in admiration.

"Not necessarily." Ash told the kid. "The Pokemons size isn't always representative of their abilities." Ash nodded to two assistants behind the crowd, who then ran off to set up new targets. "Pikachu?"

Pikachu had been sat with the audience while his trainer had demonstrated with his Noivern, mostly because Pikachu was a very small and friendly Pokemon, so Ash figured it might be fun for the kids to get to be near a Pokemon like Pikachu. Pikachu hopped up next to its trainer, as Ash recalled Noivern to its Pokeball. Pikachu leapt up his trainers shoulder, where he was usually perched.

"Pikachu here was my very first Pokemon, and I've never seen a more powerful Pokemon in my life." Ash said, with a proud grin. "Pikachu, ready to show 'em?" His partner Pokemon grinned, and jumped down, ready to display a feat of power. Electrical sparks discharged from Pikachu's red pouches. The targets had been set up. Now was the time.

"Pikachu, Electro Ball!" Ash commanded with a grin.

Pikachu formed a ball made of sheer electricity around its tail, and leapt up into the air. Surrounding it, Sparks and static made a small light show, as the ball was barely able to contain the power. Pikachu had leapt up to gain the most air, and would fall faster, increasing the speed and therefore, overall power of the attack. Pikachu made a quick calculation. Three targets. The centre target would cause the most damage and largest explosion. Quickly taking aim, and, with pinpoint accuracy, launched the attack, it immediately reaching its terminal velocity within a matter of seconds. The resulting explosion towered above the entire audience, blasting off hats and loosely held items. The explosion towered over any houses nearby. Given the fact there hadn't been a conductor of any sort, no fuel or anything, to help spark such an explosion, spoke volumes in itself. Most of the audience quickly shielded their eyes from any flying debris, but it never came. The attack had been so concentrated and powerful, any and all debris had just essentially evaporated into the blast before they could even start escaping the explosion.

Ash stood with his hands in his pockets, and grinned at the sight of the explosion. When Pikachu fell back to earth, landing on his trainers shoulder, Ash gently petted Pikachu's head. Pikachu's strength had improved phenomenally over the past two years, the result of vigorous training in the time skip. Despite not traveling in these past two years, he had more than made up for it with immense training. Even though it had bored him somewhat, he hadn't given it up.

The audience, Ash noticed, refocusing his attention, were eye wide, jaws dropped, gaping in awe at the sheer power that came from the tiny electric mouse Pokemon. It had easily been the strongest attack they had seen all day, if not in their entire lives. The display had been so intense, that even when it had dispersed, leaving a crater where the targets were, in a perfect semi - spherical radius into the ground, many of the onlookers continued watching in awe.

* * *

Ash collapsed onto a couch in Professor Oaks lab, throwing his shoes off, and letting out a loud sigh. Since residing in Pallet town for a couple of years, he had been employed, essentially, by professor Oak to help him with his research. It was a task Ash didn't really enjoy, but he found it interesting. The work was dull, but the subject matter was interesting. If it was boring, Ash would have made an excuse to not do this. Looking in the bright side, he did suppose it gave him the chance to train his Pokemon further, but that was little constellation for the time he had lost.

"Hey, Professor, how much longer are these tests gonna last?..." Ash asked, glancing to the side, seeing the professor as usual, dabbling with a computer and a gadget to the side. To his left, which he was using as a frame of reference, was a mega stone, specifically Swampertite.

"Well Ash, if my theory is correct..." Professor Oak said, holding up the Swampertite to the light, allowing the light to reflect through it, causing it to sparkle in his hands. "...Then it could change the way starter Pokemon are handed out to new trainers. The discovery of more mega stones, and your own Greninja, are examples of my research. Your Greninja especially. It's why I asked you to help me here."

"Pretty sure Greninja's sick of running tests too." Ash muttered under his breath, so Oak couldn't hear him.

"For some reason, the starter Pokemon that are handed out region wise have gained an inexplicable ability to mega evolve. Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur from Kanto all possess the ability, and Charizard possess two. Why? Was it pure chance? Or is there some sort of influence we humans are causing in these Pokemon that give them these abilities? But if that's the case, why have we observed mega evolutions in the wild? It's a long and interesting topic, you know that, right?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, I know. But I don't see how it relates to how much longer it's gonna take."

"I'm getting to that." Oak said. "I thought your Greninja would be able to help shed some light on the subject, but it hasn't worked too well. I was hoping to get some sort of reading, but no, nothing like that has happened. To be honest with you Ash, between your teaching the summer camp this year, and helping with my research, I think you've done all you can here."

"So, was the research a failure?" Ash asked, gloomily. He has spent two years helping with this. Despite his general disdain for research right about now, he didn't want to hear that it had all been for nothing.

"Not so much a failure." Oak said. "See, I have gained some new information from your Greninja. It seems to be able to go into some sort of form on its own that resembles mega evolution, but not quite. Its symbolic of the Primal forms Groudon and Kyogre can take. It's halfway between the two. So I've managed to come to a conclusion at least. A mega stone isn't always necessary for mega evolution, but only in exceptional circumstances. My next topic will look into this subject matter in itself. "

Ash grinned. "I didn't think you'd stay down for long, Professor."

"I do have one final favour to ask." Oak said, looking sheepishly at Ash, feeling guilty for asking him for favours like this constantly.

"What is it?"

Oak grabbed a folder full of his research, photocopied of course, that was as thick as a brick, and weighed roughly the same as one too. It was all on A4 sheets, and Ash estimated there had to be hundreds of pages to it, all chock full of information that, if he tried to interpret, would almost certainly make his head explode.

"I want to send a physical copy of my research to the leading researcher in mega evolution..."

Ash nodded. "Professor Sycamore, right? Back in Kalos."

"I'm sorry to ask this of you. I imagine you'd want to go out and explore this Igneous region you've been reading about." Oak said, with a pang of guilt in his voice.

"No worries, Professor." Ash said, taking hold of the folder, and nearly dropping it immediately due to its weight. "It's been a while since I saw Serena, Clemont and Bonnie. Maybe I'll get to see them before heading to Igneous." Ash tucked the folder under his arm and grabbed his bag. "So, I'm done here?"

"For my research, yes. I'm terribly sorry to have asked so much of you for so long."

"No need to worry about that." Ash said. "I got some serious training done while I was here, with all my Pokemon. That makes it worth it to me."

"I'll book your tickets for Kalos tonight."

"Thanks, Professor." Ash said, turning heel, slipping back on his shoes, and walking out the door.

* * *

Ash walked along the path to his house with a sort of melancholy feeling about the news. Two years of his life had been spent, and there hadn't been a definite conclusion with Oaks research. Despite the occasional dull times, he did genuinely care for the end result.

On the bright side, he was ecstatic about being able to travel once more. Anxious to get back out into the world and begin training, capturing, and battling once again. He grinned at the thought. The Igneous region. He had read up that it contained a lot of unique Ground and Fire type Pokemon. It sounded like a good challenge for him. Having said that...

He did miss his friends, particularly those from the Kalos region. It was a strange thing to say, he knew, but he felt like he had had more fun there than he had before, even if he had lost the league. He had kept in touch with them all. Serena was traveling with Miette, which had come as a bit of a surprise, and Clemont had returned to his gym leader duties. The two had moved on since their Kalos journeys, yet they had all said they'd love to get the old group together again if they could. Ash smiled at the thought.

"Pika?" Ash heard his partner Pokemons voice in his left ear. It snapped him back into reality.

"Sorry, Pikachu. I'm back. Sorry, I just kinda drifted off in thought for a moment." Ash said, embarrassed.

Ash looked up, towards the moon, in a star light sky. He wondered, what was everyone doing, everywhere? What was Misty doing in Cerulean? Or Max over in Hoenn? Or Serena in Kalos...

"You know, Pikachu?" Ash said, not altering his gaze from the moon. "I've been thinking... I feel like we missed a lotta stuff over in Kalos..." Ash looked higher, into the sky, and the stars. "I... Kinda want to go back and finish what we started there. I want to finish exploring Kalos, and see everything it has to offer before we go to Igneous."

Pikachu looked into the sky for a moment, before voicing it's agreement in the form of a high pitch squeal.

Ash grinned. "I guess it's a plan then." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. Scrolling down, he found his first contact.

Serena.

* * *

So ends chapter 3 of Loyalty guys. I hope you liked this chapter. I want to keep this story going for a long time, longer than One Day Off if possible. It's a story that means a lot to me, so let's get it up there at the top of googles search engine for Amourshipping.

I once got a question from someone asking me why I do my end segments like this, when I tell you what's been going on. It's simple really - I enjoy talking to you guys about things that go on in my life. I kinda treat it a bit like a diary in a way, but I think it helps you guys get to know me a lot better. Some of you guys have said you like reading this part of the chapters, so I'll keep doing it for those of you who like it.

I'm so sorry about the wait in this one. College is a bastard when it comes to keeping on top of my work, plus, I've been surprisingly into DS games lately, particularly the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series. There's something sort of psychotically therapeutic about collecting all the Pokemon and filling up friend zones and building up Paradise in the games. I don't have Super Mystery Dungeon yet because apparently Nintendo hates us Europeans, even though I live in England and America has the game, so I'm a little perplexed as to why it hasn't arrived in the other major English speaking country, especially the one that made the language, but whatever. Gotta wait until February 19th, which is gonna be hell. Mystery dungeon is a game that always makes me cry, no matter how many times I play through it, which reflects great game design, which is why I'm jealous of all you 'muricans who already have the game :-:

I've finally caved into the hype, and started watching One Punch Man as well, and it's become my anime of the year, for one reason - Characters. Each character has a personality and design that compliments one another, and the designs for the characters in this series are amazing. I speak as a character designer, creator and developer when I say One Punch Man has some of the Best character designs I've seen all year, although, no, I refuse to accept Tornado is 28. No way, she's genuinley the cutest girl in the series, and she's 28. It's just weird to me '-'

I've also been working in a new YouTube series called ERAAG - Empire Reveiws Anime and Games. First video I'm doing is on a retrospective on 2015 on the entertainment industry over the past years, so be sure to check out my channel if that interests you - I'll leave a link to my YouTube on my profile, updated, in case you subscribed to one of my old ones.

To reply to all your reviews, guys, you really give me far too much credit. I got some people comparing me to some of the fan proclaimed "Kings of Amourshipping", and that's not really something you'd say lightly. I'm honoured, I am, but I kinda doubt I'm that good. But still, thanks so much for your kind words, I'll keep doing these as long as you all keep reading and enjoying them. Hopefully one day, I'll be able to publish something for everyone to read in the form of an actual book or manga. That's one of my dreams, and I love writing this like I do for you all. It's great fun, and I'm glad you all enjoy it so much. You guys are really awesome. 2016 is going to be my yefar of creativity on all platforms, and I'll do my very best to provide entertaining and amusing content for each and every one of you.

So, that's it for my ramblings. If you read all of that then, props to you, basically. I'll try and get back into my regular updating schedule for you all, and as always, hope you enjoyed, and will see you next time!


	4. Confusion

A pile of books and a charged phone, with one notification on it from Serena, alongside his regular gear, which constituted of a map, Pokeballs, his party of Pokemon that he planned to take with him, his bag, and his trusted Pokemon partner Pikachu perched on his shoulder, and finally, his cap, which he grabbed and fitted onto his head. He then brushed down his clothes shoulder section, and then pulled his clothes down on his body, so they would straighten out, caught on his shoulders.

Ash glanced at himself in a mirror and grinned. He looked like a traveler. Like he enjoyed it. He had been longing to get back into this sort of outfit for two years. It was an outfit very similar to his Kalos outfits appearance, but it was a darker shade of blue, and had a dark outline around the edges of the clothes, like the sleeves and collar. His mother had sewed him the outfit when she learned of his trip to Kalos, and then onto Igneous. The outfit sort of reminded him of his Sinnoh outfit with how dark it was, but he didn't mind too much. He liked it.

The 17 year old trainer made a fist with his hand and pumped it in front of him. "Right."

He grabbed his phone quickly, answering the notification. A message. It was time stamped to the previous night, not long after he had sent the original message. He had gotten home and passed out by the time the message had been sent, and had been too busy the next morning packing up to answer it. Now he had some down time, he could finally see the response.

Ash read through the message and laughed. "Seems like Serena is pretty excited, Pikachu."

Pikachu tilted it's head to the left slightly, curious as to the messages contents. Ash showed Pikachu, and he started laughing too.

"Ash laughed again along with Pikachu, before scanning over the message again, with a warm smile. He was happy she had sent this. "At least now we know she's meeting us at Lumiouse city. Didn't expect her to be traveling with Miette, that's for sure."

His partner Pokemon smiled at him, knowingly.

"Uh, Pikachu? What's with the smile?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

Pikachu didn't even blink, nor react in any way. It took Ash a few seconds to figure it out.

"Oh give it a rest, Pikachu." Ash sighed, embarrassed. "You aren't gonna let up, are you?"

Pikachu giggled to himself.

"I swear I'll find a way to force you into your Pokeball if you keep this up..." Ash sighed, with mild irritation and humour, packing up the rest of his belongings. Although he kept it quiet, Ash had secretly developed a strong emotional attachment to Serena. The only real issue with that was he had no idea what to do with this attachment. He had considered it to just be camaraderic concern and worry for one of his close friends, no different to Dawn, or Brock. It had only been recently, within the last couple of months that he had learned that this wasn't the case. It hadn't been long enough for him to base all his actions around it regarding her, or even think twice about seeing her again. He didn't feel embarrassed by the prospect of seeing her again.

It was the prospect of what Pikachu, who had picked up on his feelings towards the performer months ago, was implying that embarrassed him.

Did Ash know what to do with these emotions? In all honesty, he had no idea. He really couldn't say. It all seemed simple in his head, although he admitted he could be dense, so that wasn't worth much. He knew what Pikachu was trying to say he should do. There were times he agreed with his partner, and times he disagreed. He remembered once time, at the dead of night, he had spent a long time thinking about it, rattling his brain for a good few hours, before he felt a surge of energy, telling him to call or text or just inform her in any way he could about these emotions. Once he had his phone in his hand and had started writing a message, he had paused. He realised that if he was going to do this someday, Serena deserved far better than some message on a phone. And besides... All his energy and confidence had immediately been drained from him. He remembered another event where he had reached the opposite conclusion, that he could never like Serena, but that one had lasted less then thirty seconds. No matter how hard he had tried to convince himself, it had been like trying to knock down a brick wall using a drinking straw. He had spent the rest of that particular night depressed and angry at himself that he had even attempted that. He had even, out of the blue, sent Serena a good night message, although she had admitted it hadn't been all that late where she was, so that plan had backfired.

Now, Ash felt his nails dig deeper into his skin. Without his knowledge, his hand had become a fist.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, concerned, worried it had upset his trainer.

"Huh? Sorry, Pikachu, I'm not angry or anything. I'm... I don't know." Ash sighed. "Maybe you're right about Serena, buddy. I dunno. But hey, that's not what we should be focusing on right now." Ash turned to his luggage, checking to make sure he had everything. Satisfied, he packed everything into his backpack. He quickly reached for another book from the shelf. He had become quite the reader over the past two years. It was something interesting to do while waiting for Pokemon or certain tasks to be completed in between training. He checked everything else, and then, satisfied, left the room. He then quickly ducked back into his room, grabbing an empty Pokeball he had left of the desk before dashing back out the room again.

* * *

He encountered his mother as he made his way to the door. She had waited for him before he set off. She had prepared a small bag for him, filled with things he could use during his stay at the airport, as well as something on the plane. Spare change of clothes, some snacks, and a new book she had gotten him without his knowledge. "You're all ready to go then, Ash?" She asked.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Ash confirmed, with a smile.

"You know what I'm going to say, don't you?"

"Yeah, Mom, I know. Don't worry, I'll stay safe."

"Professor Oak called. He said he'll come and take you to the airport in a few minutes. I was hoping we could have a small talk before you go." Delia told Ash.

"Small talk?" Ash asked. "Sure, that's fine I guess. What'd you want to talk about?"

"You've been at home for two years. And it's been absolutely fantastic having you back home. I've seen you mature so much, and I couldn't be prouder of you." Delia told her son, whom she had made blush. "I knew you'd want to get out of this small town as soon as you could. But... You seem... Less enthusiastic than I thought you would be."

Ash looked at his mother before sighing. How could she be this observant?

"Is something wrong?"

Ash sighed again. "Can I ask you something?"

Delia flinched for half a second. She hadn't honestly expected him to say anything other than that he was fine. She recovered quickly. "Anything."

Ash explained everything to his mother, start to finish, about his supposed feelings towards his old childhood friend, the confusion he felt, and had even included Pikachu's perspective. His mother didn't pry. She didn't ask him anything he felt uncomfortable talking about. In fact, she didn't ask anything at all. She just listened.

"So, that's it." Ash said, concluding. "So... I guess what I'm asking... Is... Is there something wrong with me, or... I dunno."

Delia smiled. "I honestly was beginning to doubt I'd ever see the day."

"Um... What do you mean?"

"Ash... That's a crush. That's all that is."

"A crush?" Ash blushed. He wasn't sure if he had been hoping or fearing this answer.

"Ash... I haven't met this Serena girl yet, at least, not after your summer camp. To be honest, I'm surprised she found her way back into you life, but it's clear to me that you care about her a lot. Even if you can't see it, I can see that she means a lot to you. From what you've described to me about her, I'm certain she has these feelings towards you."

"How'd you figure that out?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow, confused.

"How do you think me and your father acted before we got married?" Delia sighed. "Unfortunately, it looks like you've inherited his obliviousness as well as his denseness."

"Thanks for the confidence boost, mom." Ash said, sarcastically.

"Your father managed to break out of those habits around your age. This Serena girl... She returned something so simple, so unimportant, but she kept it so close to her for so long." Delia explained. As she did so, Ash looked to his right. The handkerchief Serena had kept for so long. Now, just something he had casually placed when he got back home. He picked it up, and held it in his hand, gently. "I don't know what I'd of personality she has, or what colour her hair is, or what her sense of fashion is, but I can tell you one thing from just looking at that handkerchief."

"What's that?" Ash asked.

"She's loyal. She won't hurt you if you took the risk to reciprocate her feelings."

Ash looked at the old handkerchief. It was old, and was sort of ruined now. Still as clean and clear as it was when he got it back from Serena, but he wouldn't trust himself to actually use it for anything anymore. It's sentimental value suddenly increased tenfold.

His mother smiled warmly at her son. "You care a lot for her, don't you?"

Ash went a light shade of red. "I..." He wondered just how much his mother had thought about this.

"I never thought I would see the day when you of all people had a crush on someone." Delia smiled, beaming with pride, embarrassing Ash, although not meaning to. "You'll have to show me what she looks like when you get the chance, okay?"

"You talk like she's my girlfriend already." Ash muttered, with a faint smile. Something about that idea was nice. While he was happy he had asked his mother about this, he still wasn't entirely sure.

* * *

The Kantoean airport was often a busy place. Lots of trainers flew out to different regions from here, many with similar motives as Ash, to train Pokemon and become the strongest. Many of these trainers were going to Igneous, lured by the promise of challenge and strong Pokemon. Seeing all these trainers in the airport gave Ash a surge of energy. He would have challenged some of the trainers there to battle if he could have. However, concerned about missing his flight, Ash decided to lean on the side of caution. He wished that airports had arenas near the terminals to avoid that, but then again, he also imagined that that would cause a ridiculous amount of damage to the airport, civilians and aeroplanes that would be around, so his idea had become redundant in the same thought process.

His mind was moving rapidly, ideas popping into his head and then leaving in minutes. He felt a weird sort of adrenaline. He felt like punching something. Like he needed something to vent against. He didn't know. Anxiety had taken place, rivalling his excitement.

"Pika pi?" Pikachu tapped Ash's forehead, trying to get his trainers attention.

"Huh? What is it Pikachu?" Ash asked. His Pokemon had sensed the conflicting emotions in his trainer. Ash noticed this only after asking. "Sorry buddy. I don't know what's wrong with me today."

"Pika?"

"I thought talking to my mom would help me sort out these ideas in my head, but now I'm not sure if it made it better or worse." Ash explained. "It's like half of my mind is telling me to say something once we get there, and the other half is telling me to just go straight to Igneous, you know what I mean? Like I'm at war with myself, if that makes sense. Nerves I suppose. But I've never had an issue with nerve before." He felt like screaming, and when he was younger, he almost certainly would have done. Instead, he just signed. "Sorry buddy. I'm fine now. I'll figure stuff out when we get there."

His partner nodded, sorry that he had given his trainer that smile back at his house, wondering if all this would have been avoided if he hadn't done so.

"Come on. Looks like our flight isn't gonna be here for a while. The heck with playing it safe, I need to vent some frustration." Ash said, heading outside, looking for an opponent to fight.

* * *

Hope we all had a good Christmas / preferred holiday break everyone! I myself received quite frankly a disturbing amount of manga, DVDS, and games on steam. I had a fun Christmas, and a nice break from college and writing, so now I'm back, ready to write and start my year of creativity!

Also, coincidentally, happy Amourshipping day!

Any of you paying attention to this story will notice that each chapter is named after an emotion or feeling, and this is an intended choice. I want each chapter to focus on a certain emotion someone would feel in these situations. I've had situations like this, so all the confusion and frustration that comes from this. So, I'm hoping to turn what was my heartbreak into something heartwarming for you all.

Also, since I'm talking about my year of creativity, I'm starting a new YouTube series, in which I'm looking at the entertainment industry as a whole, giving my onlook onto the industry as a whole. The first video I'm going to work on is my favourite RPG, the Mass Effect Trilogy. If you wanna join me there, my link is on my profile. Just in case your interested.

At any rate, for Amourshipping week, I'll be working on one shots if I can. I'll get back to working hope you enjoyed this chapter everyone. I'll see you in the next chapter! See you, and have fun in 2016!


	5. Worry

Ash always had mixed opinions about airplanes.

On the one hand, he found them incredibly dull. There was next to nothing to do on them. Aside read and brush up on knowledge of his destination, he supposed, but still, there wasn't much exciting. He found reading interesting, not exciting. He thought it was a shame most planes didn't have battlefields, but he knew that was a recipient for disaster, so he didn't allow that one to frustrate him. He'd much rather be bored than crash in the middle of the Kalosean sea.

He glanced over his reading material. His mother had bought him a couple of new books. It was something he had noticed. His growing interest in books had defiantly been something his mother had approved off, almost overly so. She was quite happy to pick up any books Ash had even briefly glanced at. Still, Ash wasn't complaining. He picked up one of the books. The cover read "Pokemon Adventures", and showed a picture of two of the books main characters on the front cover. He smiled. He enjoyed reading this series.

Flipping through it, he smiled. He thought a lot of the situations the two main characters got themselves into was weirdly similar to some of the adventures he and his friends had gotten into. Still, it was an interesting read. Although this did have an unintended side effect.

It was this, the other hand, the reason he didn't mind airplanes so much. He could research and read. The issue with this was that that always made him anxious to get to the destination, and made him unhappy to be on the plane all over again. It was like a cycle of annoyance Ash went through.

He paused for a second. He wondered when he had gotten into books so much.

"Must picked up the habit from working in Professor Oaks lab for two years." He muttered to himself. He wondered to himself, was he more mature than he was a couple of years ago? He still felt like he was the same, but felt like he had changed at the same time. Appearance wise, he hadn't changed much at all. Just gotten a bit taller, and maybe slightly more toned. He had received a very, very light tan, as a result of staying outside most of the time to help the Pokemon around the lab. That aside, his appearance was basically identical to two years ago. Ash noticed a thread of hair running next to eye. He smiled lightly. Maybe his hair was just a tiny bit longer than usual too.

Not that appearance had anything to do with maturity. A common misconception. He couldn't really judge that himself. He was able to restrain himself better, but he was really just as excitable as he was two years ago.

Ash looked out of the window of the airplane. He could see two blues. A dark blue, waves rippling though it. An endless horizon of the darker, navy blue, was all he could see as he looked to the centre of the Earth. No land was visible. Only this grand ocean. The Kalosian sea had always been described as a beautiful sight. He remembered a quote he had heard about it while working in Kanto. 'The sea of Kalos, the ocean of excitement, of hope, to those across those waves, we wish the peace we enjoy. A sea of hope and beauty. Across it, others enjoy it. We look forward to the day we meet them." Ash doubted that quote had been made when the person writing was on an airplane. To be honest, he doubted that quote was anything less than a couple of hundred years old. Even that was being generous. He knew it had been written before the natives of Kalos had made contact with any regions across the sea. He didn't remember when the natives made contact with other regions. He knew in terms of history, it was recent. Then again, a thousand years was considered recent in the grand scheme of history, even though generations had come and gone in that time. He shrugged. Whenever it was written, it was a nice quote.

"Hey, Pikachu." Ash said. His partner Pokemon was resting on his trainers lap, half awake, half asleep, although it hadn't quite gotten to sleep yet. "You excited?"

Pikachu sat up, groggily, and tilted it's head in confusion. "Pika?" Pikachu had been excited. Surely that was a given?

Ash shrugged. "I dunno. I suppose I'm just thinking about what we're gonna do when we get there." He leaned back in his seat. "I know I keep saying it, but I never expected Serena and Miette to get on like they are now. I kinda hoped so. It'd definitely have made things easier for us to deal with whenever we ran into her." He smiled lightly. "It'll be nice to see Miette too. Didn't expect to run into her again... Well, ever, really."

Pikachu nodded sleepily in agreement. Slightly bored.

"I bet Serena is still practicing for her performances, huh, Pikachu?" Ash suggested with a smile. "You think she's learned anything major since we last saw her?"

Pikachu's eyes had closed and had fallen asleep. Ash had said this so many times, it could recite it from memory. Ash noticed this. He smiled lightly. "Sorry, buddy." He was just excited. Ash couldn't think of a better word to describe how he was feeling right now. Just excited. He wanted to see everyone again. And he would get to see Serena as soon as he stepped off the plane.

* * *

"Serena, you really need to calm down." Miette sighed, leaning on one side of the doorframe, her arms folded, struggling to keep her eyes open. Not out of tire, but out of exasperation.

Serena had woken up that morning, wide awake, instantly, and hadn't moved from a seat in front of the mirror in her room, armed with a brush, hail gel, some sort of glamour set, and an extreme feeling of OCD and paranoia since. The blonde Kalosian girl didn't even respond in any way to her friend, instead, attacking her hair with another dollop of gel.

"You're going to ruin your appearance if you keep this up, not make it better." Miette yawned, this time out of tiredness, small tears welling up in her eyes as she did so. "If he wasn't bothered by appearance two years ago, what makes you think she will be now?"

"I don't know!" Serena said, panicked. "He could have - I don't know - gone under some sort of awakening?"

Miette just raised an eyebrow, and leaned so that she was in view of Serena's mirror. "Somehow I doubt it."

Serena didn't stop. Miette sighed. She walked over to the stressed performer and rested her hand on her shoulder. "Relax. Trust me, no one feels adequate judging themselves. There's a reason artists and writers ask for critique on their work. Here's mine for you - You're trying way too hard."

Serena sighed. "I... I know. I can't help it."

Miette smiled. "I knew you liked Ash, but seeing you so stressed is one, adorable, and two, heartwarming." Serena went a light shade of red. "Come on, I'll help you out."

Serena sighed. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she had really gone overboard. She didn't even want to describe what she a mess she had made. "Are we gonna have enough time?..."

"Easily."

Serena sighed. "Okay. I trust you."

Miette grinned. "I'll bet you never expected to say that when we first met." Miette said, arming herself with a brush and wet wipe. She wasn't exactly gentle with either, but in her defence, Serena had caked on so much that it was impossible to do anything without being a bit rough with it.

"Ouch!" Serena yelped, gritting her teeth. "Evidently misplaced trust."

"Not my fault you put so much on."

"Just... Hurry up, please."

"Yes ma'am."

Once done with the unpleasant part of getting all the unneeded gel and glamour off, Miette applied a very small amount of gel onto Serena's hair, and spread it all across her hair, so that it ended just before reading the ends of her hair. She didn't bother with any of the glamour. She didn't think it suited Serena. It was odd for her to even reach for it. It wasn't even necessary. Instead, Miette reached for a bow that was on Serena's desk, and held it in front of Serena's forehead. She moved it left and right, looking for a good place to apply it. Undecided, she tried around the back of Serena's head, using it as a sort of ponytail. She bit her lip, unable to choose which looked cuter. "You have a preference?"

Serena um'd and ah'd for a few seconds, before she made her choice. "I kinda liked the one on my forehead."

Miette complied, and applied the bow to her friends hair on the right side of her forehead. "There, that's all."

"That's it?"

"Yep."

Serena examined herself in the mirror. Miette had done such a little amount of work, yet it easily looked a thousand times better than what she had done. If the bow hadn't been included, you could have been forgiven for thinking Miette hadn't done anything at all.

"Believe me," Miette told Serena, basically reading her friends mind, "The more you put on, the less natural it looks. And seeing as Ash really doesn't care one way or the other, you'll be fine like this. I don't think he's even going to be expecting the bow. If I know him, he'll expect to see you the exact same as when you last saw him."

Serena sighed. "I suppose you're right."

"Although watching you flail is funny," Miette said, shrugging her shoulders with a smile, "It's seriously let down by seeing just how concerned you are about this."

Serena nodded in agreement. "I know. I don't know what's wrong with me..."

"Nothing's wrong with you." Miette said with a sigh. "Believe me, nothing is wrong with you. You've done this lots of times, you just did it in different ways." Miette grinned. "Remember that dance we all ended up in?"

Serena sighed. "Please don't remind me."

"You were so jealous, weren't you? Only then you didn't apply over a ton of glamour and try and grab Ash from dancing with me. I could see you, you know. You just bit your lips and fiddled with your fingers. Anyone else would have thought you suffered from anxiety."

"You're really observant when you want to be, huh?" Serena sighed, embarrassed.

"It worked out in the end for you though, right?" Miette asked. "You ended up dancing with Ash for longer than anyone else in the room."

Serena blushed lightly, but fondly at the memory. She had enjoyed that event, no questions asked. The only regret she had had was that she hadn't managed to dance with Ash for the entire night.

Miette smiled. "Doesn't matter what happens, you two always seem to get closer. Especially when I'm around."

Serena smiled. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me ." Miette said. "We've still got to get to the airport, right?"

"Yeah."

"Careful you don't end up turning heads."

"I'll only have you to blame."

"Was that a compliment?"

"Well... We'll see."

Miette shocked her head amused. "Maybe Ash will turn his head to you for once."

* * *

Well, this ends this chapter of Loyalty for you all, guys.

Extra large rant below. You've been warned.

I wonder how many of you noticed the Pokemon Adventures reference. Go, Hoenn Adventures crew!

This chapter was really supposed to focus on the prep time of a date that seems to be a popular thing in story writing, only in this case, Serena meeting Ash at the airport, and how little I honestly think it's needed. But that aside, the main writing technique I tried to work on here was the conversations. Dialogue tells you a lot about a character and their personality, and I always find when two distinct characters meet or reunite, you can see their personalities clash or kindle, and it's always an interesting experience for me, and one I like to explore a lot. You might have noticed I made Miette the voice of reason for Serena. Despite the confident personality she has in the show, based on her dialogue and interactions with Serena and other characters, the interpretation I got of her was ;

A ) Bi. (Hence my Fondant fanfic, and to those of you wondering, no, this is not the fondant fanfic, this is Amourshipping. It's in the title, so I'm not sure why anyone would expect anything else. She's in this fanfic because I like her character, and I didn't want Serena thinking to herself or talking to herself in her ever scene. In this fanfic, she's one of Serena's best friends. The banter that goes on between the two is akin to the kinds me and my friends have.) Weirdly specific thing to pick up on, but there it is.

B ) Somewhat insecure, and uses arrogance to hide it. She doesn't seem like the type to be arrogant. Confident, yes, but not arrogant. I picked up on this in her debut episode. Calm, confident and arrogant when she first met Serena, but as soon as a spanner was thrown into the works of her plan, she panicked. She recovered quickly, to keep up the facade around other people. That's what i got from that.

C ) An actually really nice person. Miette isn't the type to mock someone out of nowhere. I see this from the end of her episodes, usually when things are winding down. She acts much nicer to people after the competition is done.

Blimey, that was quite the rant, wasn't it? So, that's just there for those of you that need clarification on why Miettes here.

And I'd like to address a few people here.

Now, I've been quoted as being "The best Amour writer on ." Honestly, it's embarrassing, but thanks guys. This isn't me bragging, there's a point to this. People who message me like this often ask a couple of questions, but one common one has struck out at me. These are people who occasionally have written some stories on and other places, but they come to me to ask writing advice. Some of them, one books of their own.

I'd like to make my stance on writing fan fics and stories clear. I think writing a fanfiction is a hundred times harder than making a book up from scratch. Sure, you have the world and characters already made, but that's part of the issue. You've not got a lot of room to manoeuvre. You have to stick to the characters personalities and histories, you can't make up your own without coming across as disingenuous. (To me, anyway.) You're always trapped within some guidelines. Which is part of why I write. I want to be a cultural icon in writing, literature, gaming, manga, and other story driven mediums. I want to create worlds in which I make the rules, the characters, the concepts. Egomaniacal, maybe, but I want to inspire people. I want to make characters that inspire people to try harder, do better. The point of this rant, basically, to anyone on the fence about writing after reading this or, pretty much anything, just do it. (Reference not intended.) We need more writing and creativity in the world we live in. We live in w pretty bland world, so the more creativity we have, the better, by a god damn mile. I honestly don't consider myself to be a good writer. I consider myself to be decent at best, so I have a lot to improve on. Wonder how many of you noticed the critique quote by Miette.

So then, enough of my insufferable ranting. I'm amazed a lot of you guys actually read these things. I really should come up with a name for this part of the chapters. 123's rant corner? I work on it.

At any rate, if any of you DO actually write, draw, make videos, music, or create anything, send me a link to it. I'd love to see what you guys get up to. I hope you enjoyed the chapter "Worry". Next chapter will be the reunion of our favourite two adorable crushing idiots. Hope to see you then. Be sure to follow this one guys! See ya!


	6. Nervous

"Aren't you gonna say hi when he gets off the plane?"

Miette shook her head. "I figure you two will want to have a couple minutes to yourselves before I show up. I'll hang back a bit. I'll wait for you both by the exit."

Serena tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow in concern. "You sure?"

Miette grinned. "I thought you'd be a bit happier to have Ash all to yourself for a while."

Serena went a light red. "In the middle of an airport."

"I can always book you two up in a same room if that's not enough." Miette teased Serena, genuinely half considering it for a second.

"Okay, okay, I get it." Serena said, blushing fully now.

"You wouldn't like that?"

"Will you get out of here?" Serena sighed, flustered beyond control.

Miette laughed lightly to herself and complied, navigating the crowds quite smoothly, making her way to the exit of the airport. Serena sighed and shook the blush out of her. She wasn't sure if Miette was trying to freak her out or calm her down. She seemed to alternate between the two rapidly. Serena wondered occasionally if her friend actually suffered from some sort of weirdly specific schizophrenia.

Either way, she didn't let it bother her for too long. She quickly made her way into the airport, moving through the large quantities of people, sliding between narrow spaces. The amount of people here today was nothing short of ridiculous. Serena saw one or two lines that was simply just not moving, over encumbered with people that it took them way too long to get anywhere. Thankfully, Serena didn't need to bother with the lines, or she'd have easily been waiting for over three hours. Instead, she simply made her way to a much more cleared area of the airport, near some of the exit tubes. She checked the names. Terminal 24, terminal 25, terminal 26...

"Here we are." Serena said to herself. Terminal 31. This was where Ash claimed to be when he got off the plane. A wave of nerves and excitement made another swoops throughout her, making her shiver. She couldn't help but feel she had forgotten something, messed something up, or, just, something. Of course, she hadn't, but she felt like she had. With such a large influence in her life returning for the first time in two years, it was natural to expect these types of nerves, but that still didn't help reassure Serena.

Her nervousness was probably visually evident to anyone who saw her. Her hands were holding one another, and her fingers kept drumming against the opposing hand. She kept biting her lower lips sharply with her teeth, and she could feel her heart beating against her ribcage, like it was trying to escape. Of course she was more excited than nervous, but it was that same excitement causing her nervousness, so the whole process went on in a repeating loop, which didn't go towards helping her heart rate.

She found a seat that was still in sight of the terminal. Thankfully, it was comfy. The inside of the seat was filled with sponge to provide comfort for the people who knew they were going to be waiting for a while. She sat down and took me deep breath, trying to force herself to relax. Just sitting down helped a bit. She found herself going through s small routine. While waiting, she'd unconsciously fiddle with her fingers, inter winding them, or running her fingertips against her opposing hands nails. Once she realised she was doing this, she'd force herself to stop, only to find herself biting her lip a few moments later. She had found herself with way too much time to think everything over, again and again.

It would be wrong to assume she was going to do anything but smile when Ash eventually arrived. She couldn't wait to see him. She just couldn't. She was nervous, but it was a happy nervous. Anticipation would be the word she would have used. She was anxious to see him, she felt like she was going to burst in excitement. She had to seriously resist the urge to burst out giggling to herself. She occasionally had brief waves of dread, but they didn't last long. A thousand emotions swirling throughout her veins made it hard to think.

* * *

Ash woke up with a start, feeling his body being pushed violently, and then bouncing back to its original position. The plane had landed. He clutched his head for a few seconds, gritting his teeth in slight pain, before it wore off as quickly as it came.

"Ow..." Ash muttered, his head spinning for a moment. When had he fallen asleep? He remembered reading before he fell asleep. He remembered a battle. Something to do with a gym leader with a Torkoal or something? He rubbed his eyes and nudged Pikachu. "You alright, buddy?"

Pikachu yawned, woken at the same time Ash had been. Though, Pikachu had suffered less damage than his trainer. He quickly shook his head, to wake himself up, and then hopped onto his feet, where he looked at his trainer and nodded his head this time, and slower this time, telling his trainer he had been fine when the plane landed. "Pika pi, Pikachu"

"Good." His trainer said, groggily. Where even was he? He didn't really remember. He was too sleepy to remember right away. He glanced out the window, staring for a few moments, not really taking in the information as it was passed to him. He simply stared outside, watching the view change as the plane - What would the correct term be? Docked? - at its terminal. The pilot made some sort of welcome speech, and reminded everyone to make sure all their items were taken with them.

Ash yawned, and then it clicked. "That's right, we're in Kalos..." Once his yawn finished, he stood upright. "Oh yeah, Serena!" He lightly blushed to himself. Just exactly how asleep had he been that he forgot about his return to the Kalos region? It had been a very deep sleep. He doubted he would have woken up normally for a few more hours. Probably into the double digit numbers.

Pikachu hopped onto his trainers shoulder, and made an excited squeal. Pikachu had evidentially not forgotten the reason for their trip here.

Ash smiled. Let's get moving then, eh, Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

The two walked down the terminal in relative silence, but with huge grins in their faces. The terminal was crowded, and they were at the back of the line of people, due to Ash's confusion and sleepiness, which had prevented him from being the first up. Even then, he had been sat the back end of the plane. So there wouldn't really have been a way to get to the front first without shoving the people in front of him back Into their seats, which was just straight up plain rude. So Ash had to simply bite his lips and wait. It felt like an eternity had passed when he was asked to be metallically scanned. In reality, it had only been half an hour. He casually dropped his Pokeballs, Pokedex, and any other metallic equipment he had in him. The scanning itself was event-less. But it felt like it was taking hours. He kept mentally asking the staff to hurry up, but in reality, he understood. They were just doing their jobs. He couldn't really be mad about them doing their job correctly. That wasn't fair.

Didn't help him calm down, though.

Once through these scanners, he grabbed his electronics. He checked a clock. That had only taken two minutes. He blinked twice. Maybe he should force himself to relax a bit...

He quickly re-stuffed or re-attached any metallic equipment on his person, and made his way to the exit. Finally. He was sweating. The humid air from so many people crowded into one building at once made him long for some cool air. Thankfully, the airport had predicted this. On the exit terminal, there were one or two air conditioners active, for the public comfort. Ash could hear sighs of relief and comfort from the people who passed them. Once he was in range of the air conditioners blast radius, he couldn't stop himself from doing it either, and grinned from ear to ear. It was glorious, simple as that.

Ash followed the exit terminal still. Once they neared the exit, finally. Pikachu seemed to perk himself up while on Ash's shoulder. His ears twitched. And his nose seemed to have picked up something, because that also twitched. Without a lot of warning, Pikachu hopped down from his trainers shoulder, and ran through the remaining crowd ahead of him, navigating his way through the space available. No one noticed. They were focuses in getting the hell out of this terminal.

"Pikachu?" Ash called for his partner Pokemon, but he didn't get a response.

* * *

Serena's legs swung freely underneath her seat, both of them occasionally hitting each other as they passed one another. Hey hands were joined together, resting on her lap. She had seen some people leave various terminals. Even a few from Ash's supposed terminal. But she hadn't seen him. She was beginning to think she was at the wrong terminal.

She bit the inside of her lower lip lightly. "Maybe I should wait by the exit with Miette. It might make finding each other easier..."

She pulled out her phone, checking the terminal number. 31. It still checked out. No updates. She decided to trust her message, after some inner turmoil. She had to trust it. She had to trust Ash.

Her head lazily scanned the area. There seemed to be a few school children crowding something near the entrance to the terminal. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity and adjusted her posture so she could get a better angle. Nothing helpful.

She continued to watch. There wasn't s lot else she could do. She could play some game on her phone or something. Maybe she could help glamour up Sylveon. Something to kill the time.

Serena watched as something made its way out of the crowd of excitable children that had surrounded it. A Pokemon? Serena glanced around for the Pokemon she had just momentarily seen.

A Pikachu stood upright, on its back legs. It glanced around the airport, as if scouting the place out. Serena's heart thudded for a second. "Are you?..." She whispered to herself.

The Pikachu's ears twitched once Serena had said this. Despite the noise around, it seemed to respond to Serena's voice. It's nose twitched next, now in sync with its ears. It turned to face Serena.

And it ran towards her with a happy squeal.

Serena stood up. It was.

"Pikachu!" She smiled immensely, holding her arms out for the yellow mouse Pokemon. Pikachu happy jumped up into his friends arms as soon as he was in range, squealing in happy delight. He hadn't seen Serena in so long. He was fond of Serena. He liked her. She was fun.

Serena held Pikachu just under her chin as she gently hugged the yellow electric type, not wanting to hurt her friend. Pikachu's fur was soft and sleek, like she remembered it was.

Pikachu quickly broke free from Serena's hold, and hopped to her shoulder, and then on top of her head, smiling happily. Serena smiled and even laughed lightly. "It's so good to se you, Pikachu!" She was happy to see a Pokemon she had gotten to know so well again. It was almost like getting to know a person to her. She didn't see a huge difference between being friends with a person or a Pokemon. But she was even happier knowing what this meant.

"Pikachu, where's...?"

Pikachu was waving its arms in the air towards the terminal enterence. Serena refocused her sight.

There he was.

That had to be him.

Different clothes. Longer hair. Slightly tanned.

But there wasn't a doubt.

That was him.

Ash.

He was faced away from Serena, looking around. For Pikachu, most likely. He seemed to snap his head quickly from one cluster of people to another, only really focusing on the clusters that had patched of yellow in them. Serena suddenly caught onto what Pikachu was doing, parching itself on top of her head. He was acting like a signal for Ash. He was higher up. Once Ash looked this way, there wouldn't be any way he could miss his partner Pokemon, unless he was blind.

Ash scanned over a few more groups. Then he saw.

Serena's heart almost exploded right there and then.

There he was.

To her, he looked different. Not so that she didn't recognize him, but there were a few differences that stood out to her. His outfit was the first one. A darker colour than she had known him wear. It suited him, she thought.

The next thing she noticed was how much older he looked. It wasn't a lot, but defiantly noticeable from the last time she saw him. All the changes on him were subtle. He seemed more refined, if that made sense. His shoulders seemed more broad, and he seemed more muscular than she remembered him.

What she noticed the most though, were the changes in his facial appearance. Again, not much had changed, but he conveyed such a different person from her eyes, while retaining the same person he was at the same time. His eyes seemed more narrow, colder, but warmer at the same time. Like he was capable of making terrible, difficult choices, but he had always found ways around them. He still had the same overall look to him, just at a glance.

It was still Ash.

Ash recognized Serena at a glance.

It was amazing how much she looked the same, par a few minor differences. Her hair was longer for one, and she seemed to be using accessories instead of a hat, most likely out of a fashion choice, he assumed. She seemed a bit taller.

And that was it, that was where the differences ended, as far as Ash could tell. She had changed a bit in her personality. He could tell. More relaxed. Composed. More confident, brave, although her posture now could easily fool someone just onlooking from a distance.

She was nervous, no doubt about it. It was natural. Ash would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous either. But she still stood there. She hadn't left, or made excuses, or just lost her nerve. She was still there. That's what proved her growth.

It was an awkward couple of seconds. Both of them stared at the other, neither too sure of what to do. It was a crowded airport, so they couldn't just yell and wave over to the other without creation some sort of scene. It wasn't a case of run and hug the other person. Again, too many people for that, and both of them were feeling a bit awkward about the sight of the other. It was surreal to see each other again.

This only lasted about three second though. Ash was the first one to break this brief, if awkward but pleasant stare down. His lips curved. A smile, quickly becoming a grin. His stance relaxed, and he pulled the bag on his back up more, so it was in the center of his back. With his right have, he held it up at about chin height, signal of his acknowledgement, and a wave, simultaneously.

Serena saw the Ash she knew when she was young, the Ash she knew two years ago, and the Ash she had been waiting for, all at the same time. She couldn't help but smile. She didn't even notice she had smiled back at him. She was navigating through the crowd as fast as she physically could.

Pikachu had hopped off the Kalosian trainers head, and onto her shoulders, hoping to avoid the incoming traffic of humans heads and carelessly loose limbs. Clinging in tightly, he couldn't help but squeal happily.

The two stood opposite each other eventually. Ash, ever so slightly taller than Serena now, looked down to Serena, and Serena looked at Ash in awe. The two of them unsure what to say.

They simply stared at one another for a few seconds, before Ash finally smiled, and chose to break the silence. It wasn't the most dramatic thing he could say, but it was the best he could do.

"Hey."

Serena seemed to tear up, and, before Ash could react, he found himself being tackled, hugged by the now happily crying Kalosian girl, her arms wrapped around him tightly. She might regret this later. it might make things a bit awkward later on. Right now though, she couldn't care less.

"Hey."

* * *

 **Sorry about the slight delay on the upload here guys. College work has really been piling up, so that's taken priority. So, I'd like to thank you all first of all for all the support. It's been great guys. The fact so many of you want to see what comes next is all the motivation I need. If I hear that one of you guys smiled reading this, I will work harder just for that one person. So thanks all of you for making my days.**

 **So, before I go into my usual ramblings about my writings below, I'd just like to also say - to those of you who messaged me about your decision to try writing because of my rambles last chapter - thank you so much for letting me know. You all made my day, you really did.**

 **I'd also like it known that I God damn called that Serena's Eevee would become a Sylveon.**

 **So, couple of things I learned from last chapter - I really need to keep these outros shorter, and the second thing is I've finally decided that I'm going to peruse a career in writing for games, stories, manga and of course, still here. I've been brainstorming ideas, and I've come up with a few.**

 **To name a few concepts, a plague that infects people, but instead of killing them, the plague takes over the brain and forces the occupants to worship them, and the plague can only be transmitted via forcing one of the plague cells into another human, which causes them to hunt down non infected survivors. If you've watched plague inc evolved, Think of the Neurax worm virus. Pretty much that, only with a couple twists. The title I have in mind for this project is currently "Contingency - Survive"**

 **A second concept I have is similar to the Mass Effect Tali romance plot line, with a few differences. (because let's be honest, Tali is best character in Mass effect.) The idea for this is a nuclear war has destroyed the Earth. Humanity's home world is destroyed. 300 years later, a traveling fleet visits this grey planet, and finds a specimens astronomically well preserved. Using their vastly superior technology, they find a way to bring this one human back to life. The name for this is "Cosmic Hand".**

 **So - if I were to write these, would you guys read them? This is the main question. And where should I upload them? I'd upload them here, but unfortunately won't let me upload totally original stories here unless it's under the name of some contents.**

 **Either way, I do really hope you enjoyed Ash and Serena's reunion. I know you may be disappointed, but trust me, I'm playing the long game here. I always work with a plan ^_^**

 **But either way, be sure to leave reviews, and let me know what you thought. And I'll see you next time. See you!**


	7. Joy

"I still... I still can't get over it. You're here again." Serena said, still glancing over Ash. It was surreal to her. Like at any moment, he would dissapear again, vanishing in front of her.

"You've kept saying, Serena." Miette smiled, her head in her hands, her elbows on the table. "Five times, if you're counting."

Serena went a slight red. "Well, it's true..."

The group had gone to a cafe to catch up once Ash and Serena had left the airport. Ash had been very visually surprised to see Miette, but it had been a pleasant surprise. Miette had given Ash a friendly hug once she saw him, which had Ash returned.

"I'm still surprised you're here, Miette." Ash vocalised, looking at the blue haired trainer.

"Three times." Miette said, counting how many times Ash had said that. "Well, you've been waiting long enough. I'll tell you." She took a sip from her soft drink, before letting out a relaxed sigh. "Nothing too exciting. We kept running into each other, and we got less aggressive and more friendly towards each other. Ran into each other... A few weeks ago, and we were both headed the same way, so we decided to go together. That's about it."

Ash smiled. "Good to know you two haven't been at each other's throats all the time I've been gone."

"We've had the occasional disagreement." Miette smiled.

"That's less surprising." Ash said, smiling amused between the two. He was actually happy the two of them were getting on. He hadn't expected it either, so that was a nice surprise.

"Mostly over a few performance pieces." Serena said, with a smile of her own.

Ash finished the drink he had and let out a sigh. "Still doing the performances?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah. Sylveon has been trying so hard in practice." She looked over to her fairy type Pokemon, whom was playing a sort of game with Ash's Pikachu, evidently having missed the electric type mouse Pokemon as much as she had missed the electric types trainer. The two had always gotten on. As an Eevee, Pikachu seemed to be one of the very few Pokemon it seemed comfortable around, even though it took a while. The others it was comfortable around included Clemonts Bunnelby and Serena herself. That seemed to have passed, mostly, in its evolution. It was still shy, but not cripplingly so anymore.

"Looks like Sylveon has been training hard." Ash agreed. "I'll bet you have too."

"She really has." Miette said with a smile.

"Well... I have uh, been practicing a lot." Serena meekly admitted.

"More like constantly." Miette smiled. "She'd keep practicing until the sun came up again in the morning if she could." She leant back in her seat and smiled more. "Of course, she dropped all of that when she heard you were showing up, Ash." She smirked.

Serena went a dark shade of red. She enjoyed Miettes company - she did - but she really wished that she would stay quiet sometimes. She was certain she was only here to embarrass her. That that was literally her only reason for sticking around.

"Oh?" Ash said with a smile. He could help smiling at hearing this. It wasn't a conscious choice.

Serena suddenly became incredibly embarrassed. She glanced down and looked at her recently emptied glass. She needed to just get away for just a few seconds. Collect herself again. "I- uh, I'm going to uh, get another drink." She tried to make herself sound irritated, and threw a glare at Miette, but it sounded sort of awkward for her. She quickly got up and made her way to the self service drink dispensers.

Ash raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Uh... Did she seem to be in a hurry to leave, or was that my imagination?"

Miette smiled. "A bit of both."

"How so?"

"Can't say."

"Can't or won't?"

"A bit of both."

Ash sighed. "Good to see you haven't changed much." Miette was more cryptic than any mystery novel detective story you could possibly care to name.

"I have." Miette smiled again. "I just act like this 'cause it's fun." Her face relaxed into a more neutral, serious look. "I wasn't kidding earlier though. She really did change a lot of her routine up once she got your messages that you were coming back." She then smiled lightly. "It was... Nice, to see her like that."

Ash glanced towards Serena, who was pressing several buttons on the self service dispenser. From what he could tell, it was refusing to co-operate with her. "What do you mean?"

Miette sighed lightly. "Since you left, she's really thrown herself into performances. Like she can't focus on much else. She focuses a bit too much. I have to remind her to break occasionally." Miette mused for a couple of seconds, glancing at the sky before refocusing on Ash. "Quite a bit like you were when I was around, actually."

Ash wasn't sure if he was supposed to either smile or sigh.

"She cares about you a lot, you know." Miette said, casually.

Ash looked at the blue haired performer who was smiling warmly at him. Miette spoke again. "Keep it a secret I told you?"

Ash nodded.

Miette sat upright and leaned closer to him and whispered. "Most days, you're all she talks about."

This did cause Ash to blush a bit. Faint enough that Miette couldn't call her out on it, thankfully, but still, it was there. Miette sounded so confident in what she was implying. Miette had a confident personality, it was easy for Ash to chock it under that, but still. It seemed more than that.

"I'm not saying that you owe her anything." Miette said, raising her hands defensively up to be level with her shoulders. "But... I don't know. It just seemed wrong to stay quiet about It." Ash noticed this. This was new for Miette. At least for him to see. He never took her as the kind to go out of their way to this degree for someone they didn't get along with at first, and for someone else they didn't really know all that well. "I know how we used to be, but Serena's my friend." Ash's eyes widened slightly. Of course they were. They had been traveling together, for gods sake. It was just weird to hear it from Miette. "I look out for my friends. It might be worth bringing up with her when you're alone?...I don't know. I don't know what I expect you to do with that info. It just..."

Ash smiled weakly. "I appreciate it. Thanks Miette." He had to admit, she'd changed. Dramatically, but she was still the same blue haired trouble maker as before. It was amusing to him. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Ash finally came to understand what that saying meant.

At that moment, Ash heard footsteps behind him, he glanced behind him, and sure enough, there was Serena, looking mildly frustrated. "Sorry about that. The self service thing was... Not serving me."

Ash glanced behind her. He could see smoke rising from where she had been. Either she had pounded it into oblivion, or, more likely, there had been an issue with the machine before she had used it. Either way, Ash couldn't help smiling.

Once Serena sat down, the group heard a loud beeping sound, going off in rapid succession three times, before subsiding. Miette reached into a pocket, and held up an electronic device. She glanced at it for a few seconds before taking a sharp inhale. "Yikes."

"What?"

"You know that place we went, Serena? That... What's the name... That store with the fondant. The cake topping place before?"

"Yeah?"

"I might have uh, ordered something from there and uh... Yeah, I need to head over there."

"Why?"

"They wouldn't say." Miette sighed, standing up.

"That seems like odd business practice." Ash muttered quietly.

Once Miette stood up, she locked eyes with Ash, before motioning her eyes towards Serena. Before Ash could register what she meant, she had turned around. "I'll be back in a little bit. Don't wait up."

Miette was suddenly gone. And it was just Serena and Ash alone. Like Ash thought they would have been from the start. Suddenly, words wouldn't come. He suddenly felt awkward, knowing what Miette told him. He wanted it to be true, and if it was, that was beyond magnificent, but even so, that wouldn't make asking any less weird. The jokey atmosphere was gone. It had been replaced with something more crushingSerena broke the silence. "I missed you, you know."

Ash went a bit red. "Huh?"

"You, Clemont, Bonnie... I miss the old days. When we went around Kalos together. But..." Serena smiled at him sadly. "I missed you most. I could visit Clemont and Bonnie anytime... But it would have been so much harder to come visit you. And.. "

Ash smiled at her warmly. Comfortingly. "I don't blame you, Serena. It's not easy to get trips to Kanto.. It's just easier for me because I'm from there."

"Besides, I don't know if you'd have wanted me at Kanto."

This surprised Ash. "Why wouldn't I want you there?"

Serena bit her lower lip and sighed. "I don't know. I feel like I'd be in your way. I know you were doing a lot of important work with Professor Oak. I didn't want to get in the way of that."

Ash smiled sadly once again. Serena had often out others ahead of herself. She wasn't selfish enough. That was likely one of the only complaints he could really say about her. "I... missed you as well, Serena."

Serena looked at him, blushing lightly, and smiled again. "Thank you..."

Ash decided to change the topic for her. "So, what have you been doing while I've been away. We spoke via mobile a lot, but we didn't discuss what we were doing at the time a great deal."

Serena took a sip of her drink. "Not a lot different. I've been traveling around Kalos still. I spent a few months in Hoenn studying contests."

Ash raised his eyebrows. He hadn't expected that. He nodded. "It's... A beautiful region, huh?"

"Gorgeous." Serena agreed. "Contests there seem like combinations of performance showcases, and gym battles."

"Did you take part in any?"

"One." Serena admitted. She reached into her bag, and held up a ribbon, a golden centre, and the red ribbon surrounding it. "I got this for it."

"You won?"

"Yeah. Sylveon impressed them. We didn't do so well in the battle segment in terms of, well, battling, so we focused on looking the best we could. I guess it worked. The few hits we got in, and making ourselves look better with the enemy attacks, I guess it was enough to win." She scratched her head lightly and laughed lightly. "It's an... Interesting cultural difference."

"I'm guessing it's not for you though."

"No." Serena confirmed, shaking her head. "It was fun, defiantly. I'm glad I did it... But... Not something I want to keep doing."

"Wish I could have seen it." Ash smiled. Serena would have had an advantage. Performances were showcases primary focus, and she was damn good at those. He could only imagine the appeal stage being an absolute joke for her. "I bet you were amazing."

Serena blushed. "You're making me blush."

Ash grinned.

Serena's face became solemn suddenly. "Um... I'm sorry for going back to this topic..." She apologised randomly. "But... What's your plan?"

Ash's smile disappeared. He knew what she was getting at. Such a conversation had been bound to remind her. It was unavoidable. When was he going to leave her again? "I'm not sure." He admitted. "The plan was to visit you here for a few days, and then I'd be getting a flight to the Igneous region. There's supposed to be a lot of strong trainers and Pokemon there. Harsh environments make strong natives, the brochure said."

Serena smiled weakly, sadly. Ash could have sworn she was fighting back tears. "Still aiming to be the best, huh?"

Ash nodded. "The very best." He sighed. "But... Me and Pikachu... We thought... Well... There's still gotta be stuff to do in Kalos, right? It's not like we did everything there is to do here, and we don't know when we'll get another chance to visit, so, we uh..." Ash swallowed. "We kinda wanted to know if you wanted to travel with us again. Like the old days."

Serena's face froze for just a few seconds. After those few seconds had passed, tears ran down her cheeks. Her face went red, and she covered it with her hands. Suddenly, Ash felt horrific. "Hey, Serena!" He said, quickly getting up and kneeling next to her. "Hey, I didn't - I didn't mean to -" he was cut off by the Kalosian girl throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, for the second time that day"

"Sorry." She sniffles, trying to dry her eyes with her hand. "I didn't... I shouldn't have just... I'm so..." She tried to express such unadulterated joy, but couldn't. "I... I can't think of anything else I'd rather do." She managed to say. "They're tears of joy, Ash."

Ash felt his heart beat. He returned the hug happily. "Good."

* * *

 **Well, I'm hoping this chapter will make up for a lack of actual Amourshipping in Loyalty. I do actually have a plan to take the characters to the Igneous region, but that's still in drafting. Not too sure what I'm gonna do with Miette if that happens. She might stick around. She's sort of become a sort of character I have in mind for independent projects.**

 **Speaking of which, you guys were very supportive of my ideas, Cosmic Hand in particular. So, I've decided, I'm going to give it a** **shot. I'm going to find a site I can upload it to, and then I'll let all of you know, and leave a link to find it, FF. net willing. If not, I'll link it on my profile. So, thanks for the vote of confidence to give it a shot.**

 **While I'm here, I have a question for y'all. Mass Effect Fanfic, Shepard X Tali. Any takers? I'm starting to swell with ideas for Cosmic Hand, and seeing as the romance part of it is quite similar to ShepTail, seems logical to try my hand at one. Plus, I've played so much ME the past month, and Talk is the best freaking character and love interest ,(Nothing you say can convince me otherwise. ) I feel like I kinda need to get it outta my system. If no takers, I'll upload them on an alternate account, so be honest. It'd mostly be something I wrote for my own sake, anyway, so let's hear it. I don't wanna upload anything you guys wouldn't like.**

 **Be sure to leave a review to answer anything I said here, and to let me know what you guys want to see, think of the fic so far, and what you think the Igneous plot line could entail. I love hearing from you guys, it always makes me smile, and keeps me motivated. Half the fun I get from writing is waiting for all your awesome responses, so, let's have it.**

 **Anyways, I do hope you enjoyed this chapter of Loyalty. I'll work to get the next one up for you as soon as I can. See ya!**


	8. Envy

Heath bit his lower lip, and tapped his foot, anxiously. His partner Pokemon, Growlithe, whom had far more experience than his new human handler, was in a much calmer state. It kept its head up, and kept surveying the area. Heath did the same, but he could hardly keep a calm composure. Although it was possible that the freezing cold was having an effect on that. He knew it was unseemly for a police officer to give off anything other than cold, calm, self composure, but it wasn't exactly his choice at this point. He was a recent recruit, barely a few months on active service. He had only recently had his previously long hair shaved off to comply with uniform regulations. He was fresh, and anxious to do a good job.

Although, that was at the bottom of his list of priorities right now. He was focusing on not catching frostbite.

"Freaking eggheads..." He muttered to himself. He had been asked to run security duty for a science team in a warehouse outside Lumious City. In reality, he had been half asleep when the briefing had occurred, so he had no idea why these scientists couldn't do this in some suite with a radiator and a cup of coffee, because such thoughts were not a million miles from his own.

He petted his Growlithe lightly. "Come on, let's take a minute." He said, leading his partner to a nearby bench. From the inside of his best, he procured a flask. Silver and metallic in colour. He opened it, and, to his chagrin, no steam came out, the heat had disappeared. Regardless, he poured some of the coffee inside it into the cup and placed it on the ground. "Growlithe, buddy, you mind?..."

His Growlithe nodded happily, and used a light ember attack, nothing major, essentially like a very hot wave, until the cold liquid gave off steam. Heath smiled, and produced a treat for the fire type. "Thanks bud. Here, your favorite."

He lightly threw it into the air, and his fire breathing partner jumped up, catching it in mid air. It began chewing at it eagerly, much to the humor of Heath. Heath took a large drink of his coffee, feeling the caffeine revitalizing his senses. It was warm. He shuddered. "Thank Arceus for that."

"For what, private?"

Normally, Heath would have snapped to attention. But he recognized the voice. Aside from nearly giving him a heart attack, he was calm about it. "Kazu, dear God, man. You nearly gave me a heart attack."

His sergeant, but above that, his close friend, approached him. Three years his senior, he was much more composed. "Mind if I sit?"

Heath nodded. "By all means."

His friend sat by him, letting out a grunt as he did so. "Enjoying night shift?"

"Nope." Heath replied immediately. "Hating it. I wouldn't have agreed if Officer Jenny had specifically asked for me."

"She recognizes you've got talent."

"So she's trying to give me frostbite?"

Kazu chuckled and reached into a plastic bag he had been holding. From it, he produced a small bread ball. "Here, eat this."

"A bread ball?"

Kazu took a bite of his own, seeming to savor the taste. "The brain can function as long as it contains glucose. Bread had glucose. It adds to the bloodstream slower. Trust me, this is gonna keep you awake far longer than any coffee could."

Heath hesitated for a second, but followed his sergeants, his friends, advice. "Thanks, sir." He took a bite. It was freshly made white bread. Although it didn't taste of much without any butter or jelly, he welcomed the chance to eat something filling.

"I'm not your sergeant when we're alone, Heath." Kazu smiled. The warm, friendly smile Heath always saw in his friend. "I've known you since elementary school. We traveled together for a long time. I was there when you met Larian. I saw you off with a smile and best wishes when you left with her that day. I might have requested your presence in my unit, but that does not give you permission to go formal on me."

"Uh, in that case, then I'm glad you had the damn presence of mind to do some research for once, you unorganized idiot."

"Better." Kazu chuckled.

Two two sat in a comfortable silence, finishing off their snack. Heath offered Kazu some coffee, but he politely refused. They stayed there for a few minutes before Kazu stood up, stretching his arms, hearing a light click. "I should get back to the front. Jenny will want a perimeter report."

"Quiet." Heath informed. "As always."

"Thanks, Private." Kazu said. "Keep at it, you'll get used to the night shift. Although, you might want to fix up a new sleeping schedule. It helps. Believe me, it..." Kazu tried to finish his sentence, but couldn't. He felt heavy all of a sudden. As in, his entire body felt like it weighed the same as a truck. Each individual bone, an iron bar. His skin, like a suit of armor.

"Kazu?"

Heath stood up, noticing his friends struggle. Had he not been focused now, he wouldn't have noticed. A very faint purple haze surrounded Kazu. The sergeant fell to his knees, fighting to stay upright, eventually failing, collapsing into the floor.

Heath bit his tongue. "That's Gravity. What's -" a speeding, spinning metallic object suddenly slammed into his ribcage with what felt like the force of a freighter. Heath coughed, blood coming along with his saliva as he grunted, and fell to his knees, clutching his ribs in pain. A steam of blood ran from the corner of his mouth to his chin, one eye was shut tightly, but his other eye was wide opened, focused, piercing, searching for the source. Coughing, he forced an order to his equally confused partner. "Growlithe, flamethrower, as soon as you can confirm a target!"

The fire type loyal dog Pokemon nodded, but never got the chance. Spinning at speed, the figure hovered above the sentry Pokemon, sending a psychic attack into the Pokemon. Suddenly, Growlithe fell unconscious, without conflict. Hypnosis.

"Very good, Bronzor."

Heath looked at Kazu. The pressure had been too much for him, and he had fallen unconscious. Heaths sweat turned cold, and his teeth gritted. He was alone. He didn't have the strength to reach his radio. He couldn't call for backup. His lungs felt like that had been crushed anyway.

In front of him, a man stood above, smugly smiling, and with a hand on his hip. His vision dazed, Heath couldn't identify any specifics about the man. "I must applaud you, I don't think I've seen anyone conscious after Bronzor hit them with such force. You must understand, that he hit it with easily the equivalent force of a bullet. I image you're suffering some internal bleeding right about now?"

Heath opened his mouth to tell the man, whoever he was, to shut the hell up. Instead, he could only cough up dark red Crimson colored fluid. He was right, weather Heath wanted to admit it or not. He was definitely not in a good state.

"I don't want to cause someone so strong willed harm. It would only cause more pain than is needed. Tell us where the science team is, and you can go. We won't mention you, you have my word." The figure bent down, so Heath and he were face to face. Heath showed no signs of weakness, of letting the secret loose. He remained silent, glaring at the figure he couldn't properly see. "I understand you're close to a 'Larian'? Would that be your wife per chance?"

Heaths teeth gritted.

"Wouldn't it be a shame if she never saw her husband again?"

Heath made a fist with his right hand, and, defiant of the pain and threats, threw a powerful right hook punch, aiming for the mans face. He missed, only by an inch, as his opponent jumped back. "Screw... You..."

"Aha!" The figure smiled. Heath could now make out red and black looking suit. Around his hand, a white wrist collar. But nothing else. "Defiant and loyal! I thought there was something about you. Unfortunately, I must keep my schedule. Bronzor, Gravity."

Heath felt his bones become heavy. He fought with all his might, but fell to his knees. His body felt like a double decker bus was crushing him. He used every ounce of his strength to stay upright, but he felt a sharp jab hit him in the gut - a front punch from this figure - causing him to hit the ground. He looked up, defiantly, glaring, refusing to give up. Even if he was on the floor, he wouldn't give this figure the satisfaction of a physical victory over him, forcing him into surrender. He knew it was inevitable, but he refused to surrender quietly. "Look on the bright side." He heard the voice say. "I wasn't serious. You'll see your wife again. I'm not that cruel." He saw a foot hover over his face. "Lights out!"

And everything went black.

* * *

Ash pulled on his fingerless glove tightly onto his right hand, and used his left to pull hit hat onto his head. It felt good. It had been far too long since he had felt this sort of rush in a morning. The rush one felt when preparing for what they knew for a fact was going to be a good day. The same rush he felt all the time when traveling. The rush that had been gone for two years.

He grabbed his backpack and swung it over his shoulder. Adrenaline flowing through his veins. He stopped for a second, looking in the mirror of his room. He grinned. He had that look. That unmistakable look.

The look of a traveling trainer, with drive.

He slammed his right hand into his empty left. An audible slam was heard upon impact. "Right!"

* * *

"Uh, could you elaborate on that please?" Serena had her arms folded, and leaned mostly on her left foot. She stood in front of a video call phone. She had called the Lumious City gym,min the hopes of contacting Clemont and Bonnie. It had been an idea that she and Ash had discussed previously. If nothing else, Ash had wanted to visit them again before heading to Igneous. While Ash was preparing, she thought it would be a good idea to get ahead and call Clemont and Bonnie, to make sure they were available. She had instead been answered by Clembot, apparently still active, and now Clemont had returned, was acting as a glorified secretary.

"I have provided all available data." Clembot repeated. "Master Clemont has been called away from the gym to assist Officer Jenny in a security matter. I am not permitted to provide any additional data."

"What kind of matter? Can't you at least give me the location?" Serena asked, sighing in frustration.

"I am afraid I am not able to provide that information."

"Can you contact him then or something?"

Clembot seemed to analysis his instructions for a few seconds. Running his processor at speed, he quickly responded. "Sending communications request. Please hold."

"Thanks, Clembot." Serena said, sighing again. She couldn't be mad. It was just doing its job after all. It was just annoying. She had wanted to get ahead of things before Ash showed up. Instead, she had been forced to deal with a logic driven mech following orders from her former traveling companion.

"Any luck?" Miette asked, calling from a sofa cushion a few meters away, tending to her Pokemon.

"Not sure yet." Serena called back, briefly explaining the current situation.

Miette sighed. "I told you it wouldn't be that easy."

"Hello?"

Serena's head quickly turned towards the video phone again. There was her blonde haired scientist friend. He hadn't changed even a bit since the old days, an exact copy of himself two years ago. "Clemont?"

Clemont adjusted his glasses, a habit he seemed to still have. "Serena? That you?"

"I'm hurt. You don't recognize me?"

"No, not that... Sorry, it's been a long night." Clemont said, shaking his head, a smile forming in his face. "Forget about that, how're you doing? I haven't heard from you in a while. I'd assumed you'd forgotten about me."

"I'm doing absolutely fantastic." Serena said, he words full of sincerity, though she didn't say why. "I tried calling the gym, but Clembot wouldn't tell me where you were."

"Seems about right." Clemont said, glancing to the right, inspecting something that briefly caught his attention, before he dismissed it.

"What's going on?"

Clemont visibly bit his lower lip. Unsure of what to say. He had been about to speak, to deny Serena information, out of necessity rather than malice when he was interrupted from her side of the call. An old, familiar voice.

"Morning, Serena." Ash called over, walking over to her casually. "I'm set up, ready when you are."

"Ash?"

Ash tilted his head to the right, only now noticing his friend was actually using the video phone. If it was to anyone else, he would have backed out immediately. But he recognized the blue jumpsuit wearing scientist. "Clemont?"

A grin of unrivaled proportions, much wider than when he had seen Serena, grew on the young gym leaders face. "Ash! What're you doing in Kalos?"

"I only got here yesterday, Clemont." Ash replied, with a grin of his own, his teeth showing. "It's damn good to see you."

"Likewise, Ash. It's been too long."

"You haven't changed a bit."

"I've been so busy with the gym, and my inventing... Haven't had much time to go out and get a new glasses frame or anything like that." Clemont replied with a humorous grin. "You in the other hand... You look better than I last saw you. You look healthier."

"Sorry I didn't mention it, Clemont. I was going to get around to it, but," She shot a glance at her crush. "He showed up before I could."

"Don't worry about it." Clemont said, shaking his head. He sighed. "I won't exactly get to hang out anyway, sorry to tell you."

"Why not?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow. "You busy with work?"

Clemont sighed. "Technically I'm not supposed to say... But there was a break in. A science team and their police guard were all knocked out and their research stole. Brutal take outs. Thankfully, worse anyone got was a few broken ribs and a heavy hit to the face. Nothing fatal... But he's gonna have a few weeks bed rest, and he's gonna be in a lot of pain. They asked me to help the investigation. I know the area

"Where are you?" Miette spoke up from behind the two trainers. She had approached nearly silently.

"Miette?" Clemont questioned, his eyes widening slightly, and his voice raising in tone. "I heard you were traveling with Serena. Where the heck did you come from?"

"Tell us where to find you and I'll tell you."

"Fair enough." Clemont sighed. He planned to tell them anyway. "Follow the road from the Pokemon centre where we went the first time we met Ash. The same one you registered for the Kalos league, and head down the right hand road from the door. Follow that and you'll find us eventually."

Ash nodded. "Got it."

"See you there."

* * *

Clemont hadn't been kidding. Objectively speaking, unless you were blind, it was not physically possible to not notice the police presence. Crime tape, cars, and officers, the police weren't exactly bothering with being subtle in the slightest. As the group approached the yellow tape, they noticed a few local residents asking various officers what the issue was, and some giving descriptions in anyone who had been seen out here at a certain time.

"Yikes." Miette muttered.

"What the heck has Clemont gotten involved in?" Serena wondered, feeling her nails dig into the palms of her hands. She had tightened her fist to tight, her hand was shaking.

Ash placed a hand on her shoulder. "Relax." He said, soothingly. "You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep that up."

Serena now only seemed to notice her hand was actually in a fist. She immediately relaxed it, inspecting the marks her nails had left in her flesh. Barely recognizable from a distance. That gave her some comfort. But it still hurt a bit, now she had noticed it. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. Just relax. Clemont'll be fine."

"Yeah... You're right..."

Ash tilted his head, quizzically. "Are you okay?"

Serena nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Ash looked at her closely for a brief second. He could have sworn he saw something...

Serena's eyes met with his in this brief second.

Miette cleared her throat. "Save the staring for later you two." She said nonchalantly, tapping her fist gently on Ash's hand, which still hadn't left Serena's shoulder. " I think I see your friend ahead." She walked ahead of the, her hands behind her back.

Ash and Serena both blushed, and quickly shot their glances in opposite directions, and Ash reclaimed his hand, as quickly as it had found itself on Serena's shoulder, it was now by his side. Ash could hear his heart beat a bit louder, why, he wasn't sure, while Serena was gritting her teeth and silently cursing Miette to oblivion for her comment.

"Sorry." Ash said, quickly.

"It's fine." Serena replied, calmer, but still embarrassed.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...We should go."

"Agreed."

"Where'd Miette go?"

Serena looked around briefly, scanning, until she spotted the blue haired walking annoyance incarnate further ahead, her image having been blocked by a wall of passing officers just a few moments prior. She was stood, with her hands behind her back, at the edge of the police tape, talking to someone in a light blue overall. Serena had to do a double check to make sure who it was. She couldn't help but smile.

"Over there." She said, her smile widening, shaking off the awkwardness from barely twenty seconds ago. "Looks like she found Clemont."

Ash tilted his head slightly to the right, moving so he could follow Serena's line of sight. His own mouth curled into a smile when he saw his Kalosian friend. He hadn't even changed slightly. Same outfit as well. He didn't even look to have grown in height, expand or reduce in mass, or even a change in his hair length. He looked like an exact replica of himself two years ago. The expression on his face was one of a unique combination, one of humor, surprise, and skepticism as he spoke with Miette. It was the same expression Ash had worn on his own face when he saw Miette with Serena for the first time. One of surprise and pleasure simultaneously, albeit it pinched with uncertainty and disbelief. Seeing it on Clemont, Ash wondered how he looked when he made the same face.

Ash waved over from a distance and made his way over, breaking out in a light jog as he made his way to the scientist gym leader. His wave was unnoticed for a few seconds before the gym leader noticed and returned the wave, Miette turning with him as he saw his old friend. It took Ash maybe thirteen seconds to reach the police tape, him standing in one side and Clemont standing on the other. "Clemont." He said, a smile on his face in greeting.

"Ash." Clemont responded, with a grin of his own. The two then extended a hand each and firmly shook the others hand, Ash patting Clemont on the opposing shoulder. "It's been way too long, buddy."

"Defiantly." Clemont replied, with a large grin. "You look good. Better. More rested than you were before."

"Work at home for so long, you'll eventually end up like this." Ash smiled. "Looks like you've been keeping busy."

"Defiantly." Clemont repeated, noticing Serena walking up in the background. "Thanks for the message, Serena." He greeted the blonde performer warmly. He would have greeted her with a friendly hug, had he not been on the other side of police tape.

"Good to see you, Clemont." The Kalosian girl smiled at the jumpsuit wearing gym leader. Her face seemed to turn serious afterwards, her eyebrows dropping and her eyes narrowing. "What's going on? Why are you at a police site? You mentioned a break in on the phone... But they don't call in gym leaders for break ins on the outskirts of the city."

Clemont sighed. Before he could speak, another voice calling from further away, accompanied with the rattle of plastic and crunch of gravel, yelled over from a distance away. Clemont's attention turned away from his group, apparently having recognized the combination of the two. "Clemont? What are you doing?"

Ash turned his head to face Clemont's direction. Immediately, the sounds made sense. A higher pitch in speaking, and what sounded like rollerblades coming ever closer.

"Korrina?"

The fighting type gym leader stopped in her tracks, literally in her case, at the sight of the old Kalos group that had aided her so much when they had crossed paths. She had changed lightly. She still retained her apparent love of rollerblading and speed, but she seemed taller and her figure seemed more developed in the past two years. She had apparently gotten a new helmet, this time picking out a new one that presented a light yellow color on the outside. Her hair was the same length, but thinner. It seemed silkier from a distance. Facially, there hadn't been a change whatsoever, and it seemed that personality wise, she was the same girl, albeit more mature and experienced, than previously.

"Ash and Serena?" She seems to do a light skip while saying their roller blades in her shoes retracted into the soles of her shoes, fixed firmly in place before she hit the ground again. She warmly smiled in nostalgia at the group. It missed everyone except Bonnie. Instead, she had apparently been replaced by a blue haired girl. She made a mental note to question them on the new inclusion later. "I haven't seen you guys in so long!"

Ash smiled back at the roller blading girls enthusiasm, happy to be seeing so many old friends again at once. "Good to see you too Korrina."

Korrina, unlike Clemont, was un-phased by the police tape between them, and gave Ash a warm, friendly hug of reunion, one Ash returned gladly. Once done hugging the Kantoean, she clasped hands with the Kalosian girl to his immediate left, before going towards the blue haired girl, offering a handshake. A brief greeting followed, with names being introduced and very brief stories being told, before everyone remembered what they were there for.

"Forget what I said a minute ago, Clemont." Serena said. "What're _you_ doing here, Korrina?"

"Not happy to see me?" She asked, her voice full of humor. She glanced at Clemont, who didn't return the glance at all. Korrina's glance shifted between the group and her fellow gym leader, before a smile captured her face. She then out her arm around the back of Clemonts neck, placing him in a sort of affectionate headlock, with her face near his, due to her essentially bringing the sides of their foreheads together. "You didn't tell them?"

"I've kind of been busy -" Clemont started to explain.

"You aren't now." Korrina said. It almost sounded like a reprimand. "I'll handle things here. You take a few minutes."

"Korrina -"

"I'll be fine." Korrina said, standing upright and letting the other gym leader go. "You get a lot of respect as a gym leader. You know that, right? I'm not totally incompetent, either." Her face fell serious. "I'm not going to mess up or sabotage your investigation, Clem."

Clemont would have protested, but instead he simply sighed and agreed, knowing arguing was pointless. "Alright, okay, follow me you guys." Clemont instructed, ducking under the police tape and leading the group to the side of the pavement. Finding a few boxes to substitute as chairs, he, Ash and Serena all sat down. Miette remained standing, behind Serena. Clemont bit his lower lip. He had already told them more than he should have on the phone. And even if he did tell them everything, what could the police honestly do? He was essentially leading the investigation. "Okay," he said, clapping his hands together to emphasize his words. "What's first?"

"First things first, what the heck is going on?" Miette asked the gym leader with burrowed eyebrows.

"Like i said," Clemont said, taking his glasses off and cleaning them. "Break in. Only... I was sparing the details, mostly out of respect for the police procedure. But the police Sargent told me that the press already heard, so there's no real reason to keep quiet anymore." He put his now clear glasses back on, his eyes becoming serious. "A group of scientists were attacked here. Police guard was knocked out, minor injuries, with one officer suffering more harsh injuries. Uncharacteristically so. Uniquely so. Anyway, not relevant, the science team was also K.O'd, and some minor plans were stolen."

"Minor plans?" Serena asked, voicing the two words that stood out to her.

"Right." Clemont nodded. "The group were there in secret, working on several theories, but their main research was into the legend of Arceus. They were looking to create some kind of portal to find it based on the legends." Clemont shook his head. "Or, they were going to build a shrine to it out of Lego. I have no idea. That's my best guess. I wasn't involved in the project directly."

"I remember meeting Arceus." Ash said, nonchalantly, remembering his experiences with the Jewel of life. "They aren't gonna find him with portals, I'll tell them that right now."

Clemont thought it best to just ignore that statement. That was one level of crazy he couldn't deal with right now. "Uh... Anyway... The plans that were taken were... Barely even... Well, even notes. Stuff on Pokemon like Beldum, Porygon."

"That seems like an odd choice." Miette said, with a raised eyebrow. "The god Pokemon, or a steel or normal type Pokemon, and they go with the latter?"

"That's why the police asked me for help." Clemont explained. "They know my uh... Reputation. They thought I could help them figure it out."

"And?"

Clemont looked at Serena. "Not well. I'm a scientist, and even if I could help, there's barely anything to go on. Aside from the notes missing, drowsy officers and one beat up cop, there's no evidence of a break in at all."

Ash scratched his temple, trying to keep up. "... I'm guessing that means you can't come with us."

Clemont sighed with a sad smile. "I had a feeling that was what you called me for..." He glanced between the three of them. "I'm sorry guys, I really am... But I can't just leave the investigation. And even if I could... I've committed to my gym leader duties now."

Ash smiled. "It's fine. I understand. Traveling with us for a few days is a lesser concern than dealing with this crime, and your job." He spoke genuinely. "It's a shame you can't come with us though."

"Thanks..." Clemont said with a sigh. "I can let you know if anything changes."

"Yeah, speaking of that..." Serena said, a smile slowly growing on her face, and a look that made Clemont's heart freeze for a brief second. "What's going on with Korrina?"

Clemont sighed and smiled. He knew that was coming. "We're together." He said, calmly, with a small hint of pink materializing on his cheeks. "Happened about a year and a half ago."

"You kept that quiet." Serena said, leaning back now, with a huge grin on her face. She wasn't alone, either. Miette also had a similar grin on her face, while Ash was more surprised than anything else.

"I've been busy." Clemont rationalized simply. "Not really an appropriate time to mention it."

"Don't worry." Miette said, a hint of teasing in her voice. She had become so familiar interacting with the group, it felt like she had been a part of them forever. "I don't think anyone is judging you."

Ash had next to no experience with relationships. He knew next to nothing about their affects on people. Well, that was a lie, but he had no first hand knowledge. The closest thing he could think of was when he was working at Oaks, a traveling girl, probably about 14 if Ash had to put an age on her, had attempted flirting with him. He suspected he made himself look more like an idiot than anything else. But all of that aside, he could see Clemont was actually a bit different after all. He seemed happier. More relaxed. Around Korrina, he had seemed a bit energetic. "She seems good for you." Ash said, not really thinking about it.

"I think it's adorable!" Serena said, her voice conveying her joy and, evidently, her excitement for their old friend, along with her hands around Clemonts, shaking them as one hand, against Clemonts wills. "You two got on so well when she traveled with us! I thought she liked you when we were all together."

"Would have been nice if you told me that then." Clemont said with a nervous laugh, weakly attempting to reclaim his hands, embarrassed by Serena's excitement for his own love life.

"I said thought." Serena justified. "Plus, I didn't think she'd want her heart broken..."

"Hey now." Clemont's face turned serious for a second, but still warm and kind, as he would be for any friend. "I care about Korrina. I'm not gonna hurt her in any way."

Ash found himself smiling subconsciously at these words. It surprised him that Clemont was now apparently with Korrina, but he didn't disapprove in any way. Seeing how happy Clemont clearly was, he doubted he could ever disapprove of any relationship anyone could ever have. The affectionate nickname Korrina had given him, 'Clem' made more sense to him now. He could only describe it as heartwarming.

Serena felt the exact same way.

"I'm glad you found someone." Serena said warmly, acknowledging Clemont's previous statement. "I bet Bonnie had lots of fun teasing you."

Clemont laughed again. "She did. Trust me."

The group had spoken for a while, before Clemont had been called back to work, separating the group once again. Before he left, he had brought the group up to speed on the specifics of his life.

Excluding his romance with Korrina, much had gone on in his life. After the group had separated, he had gone back to his gym, eager to put everything he had learned to the test, and to teach it all to the trainers that came to him gym. Hard hitting, honest and educating, he had taken on lots of opponents, won many, lost many. He felt like had had improved his work as a gym leader massively. His Pokemon had strengthened, and he felt better as a battler.

Additionally, Bonnie had been at a sort of training camp, or school. Clemont didn't go into the specifics, but the bottom line was that she was gone for a while. He smiled, knowing he could tease her about that when she returned. It would be fun to see her as the frustrated one for a change.

His inventing had also improved. Granted, he still felt he had much to learn, but he could now at least make something without it being a 95-5 chance in favor of it exploding In his face.

That last bit of information made Ash smile.

* * *

"I'm so happy for them~"

Serena had been in a bubbly mood since having left the police sight. She walked with a skip in her step, pacing up and down the street outside the main gate. She and Ash were waiting for Miette, who wanted to buy some equipment, not specifying what she was getting, leaving the two traveling companions on their own.

"Didn't think Clemont would..." Ash started, trailing off. He shrugged. "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

Ash scratched his head. "I just... I dunno. Seeing them made me smile, but..." Ash blinked a couple of times. "Now I kinda feel empty. Jealous maybe?" He saw what almost looked like a panicked look from Serena. "Like... I'm kinda jealous that they're happy, if you understand what I mean. Like, I'm not jealous of them themselves, but they seem really happy together. Like..." He went silent, trailing off. "I'm happy for them, but... I dunno."

Serena relaxed and smiled. "I think I know what it is."

"Yeah?"

"You're envious."

"I guess that's the best word." Ash sighed. "Still, not sure why. I've not had any experience with stuff like that." His eyebrows burrowed inwards while he looked to the ground.

Serena smiled, and went a little bit red in the face. "Maybe you subconsciously, secretly want something like that?"

Ash looked at Serena warmly. "Maybe." He sighed afterwards. "Still, I agree. They do look good together."

"They're adorable~" Serena made a squealing sound, her hands on her cheeks. "They're so cute~"

Ash smiled and shook his head, bemused. He looked up at Serena, still awestruck in excitement.

' _Maybe_.' He thought.

* * *

 **And that ends this chapter, guys!**

 **Sorry for the late update. I went to a games convention with my college group for a couple of days. I got to speak with some of the people who worked on stuff like Life is Strange and Mass Effect, which was pretty damn fun. Learned a lot about games and writing.**

 **So this is a chapter I've been planning for quite a while. It was planned to be an earlier deal, but I decided against it. There is a custom plot line to this story, so don't worry, I didn't just decide to add five minutes worth of brutality into Pokemon for no reason. I'm also a minor supporter of Korrina and Clemont. I just find them cute is all, and I'm excluding Bonnie from the story at this point because I always forget about her character, and she's difficult to write, so I can focus on the good parts.**

 **I'd like to say, thanks for all the support this story has gotten. It's magnificent, and motivating as hell. I'll do my damnedest to finish this one, and make it my longest and best story to date. Your reviews, follows and favorites mean so much, and anyone who writes as well knows what I mean. So, if you feel like giving me some extra motivation, be sure to leave a review for me, or follow and favorite the story too. ^_^**

 **Regarding other things... Anyone know a place I can upload my independent writings? I'd upload them here, but that's not an option, so, does anyone know a good site to upload original stories? Cosmic Hand has a chapter or two ready to go.**

 **Also, I do plan on doing a mass effect Shepard X Tali fic at some point. Not sure when. I'm reading lots of them to see what I can find. See what I like. What I wanna do.**

 **Finally, I'm going to make it a point from now on, reply to as many reviews as possible. I wont give away information regarding the story, but if you leave a review, i will attempt to message you, if only to say thank you for the review.**

 **Any want, ranting over. As always, I'm great full to you all, and I hope you enjoyed. I'll see you next chapter, and until then, see ya!**


	9. Morality

Miette browsed through a fairly large variety of supplies she supposed she would need for the trip. The usual things, like food, water, both human and Pokémon, and some entertainment. The bare essentials Miette traveled with. Additional things, like baking and cooking apparatus, she had bought for herself years ago. It still worked perfectly well. No need to replace it. Things she brought for comfort were lower on the list of priorities, but she always found that she'd made enough room for them. Completely accidentally, of course, she smiled to herself. She was only human.

Running into Serena when she did, and the subsequent travels she had had, she had found herself smiling more than when she was alone. She didn't hate being alone, she could easily and quite contently live independently, but company was always appreciated. Since Ash had shown up, the smiles had become more mischievous. She had been having a _lot_ of fun teasing her performing and baking rival. She knew the limits though. She had no intention of upsetting Serena on a fundamental level.

She picked up a can of Pokémon food and inspected it. Some sort of new Fairy Type can.

In reality, she was happy for Serena. Well and truly. She wouldn't lie. In the first few days she knew Serena, she had been serious about her threats. She had certainly found Ash an interesting person. Had Ash asked her out as opposed to Serena, Miette doubted she would have said no. It was an amusing possibility she liked to muse over once every so often, but she wasn't particularly upset. In fact, she didn't feel any upset. She was more happy for the two of them. It had been a minor infatuation she had had. One where you look at someone and think ' _Wow, he's quite cute.'_ And had amounted to nothing else.

Those two on the other hand...

Miette sighed. Those two were crazy over one another. You would have to be literally blind to not notice it. You didn't even need to be a genius at romance. The way they always comforted one another, glanced at each other, body language, he'll even just how much more comfortable they looked around each other. How those two hadn't figured it out baffled her beyond comprehension. Were it anyone else, Miette would have pushed the two into each other's arms by now. But she respected them both too much individually for that.

"If only the two of those idiots would figure it out..." She muttered to herself with a heavy sigh afterwards. She noticed a shopper looking at her with a cocked eyebrow. She ignored him.

Miette glanced at another can.

It was a confusing situation she found herself in, as a friend to both of them. Every inch of her being was killing her to just force the two of them together. The way they littered around each other was, while adorable, exceedingly frustrating. It almost made her want to scream. But simultaneously, she knew Serena wouldn't likely forgive her for such a breach of trust. She sighed again. Much as she hated it, she had to let them figure it out. Hints to the other, she might give, but she had to let them figure it out.

She did some tallying on her tablet, adding up prices. ' _Wonder if I'll find someone soon...'_

She shook her head. When had that thought ever bothered her beforehand? She wasn't particularly lonely, she was, again, content to be alone, but at the same time... She understood how Serena felt, wanting to be with someone else more often than being alone. It was... A comforting feeling. Was she just jealous? Or was she actually lonely? The blue haired baker scratched her head and rested her other hand in her hips. "Damn those two..." She muttered, blaming Ash and Serena for these thoughts.

"I recognise that look." Miette heard from just in front of her. It was the same shopper from earlier. She had assumed he had got lost by now. Something about him felt rude.

"And what look is that?" Miette asked, staring at the trainer. He wore a purple and black hoodie, and from the looks of him, he traveled light. She could already tell he was a tough trainer, just by the calm confidence he seemed to exhibit. She suspected there was more to that than him.

"Confusion. Contemplation. Realisation." The trainer said, looking directly at the blue haired girl. "Let me guess. Companion issues?"

"What the - "

"I heard you earlier, plus that look? People you're traveling with. You're having conflicting thoughts about them, aren't you?"

Miette nodded her head. Something about this guy seemed soft, and at the same time, tough as nails. Like one of those old war veterans she met as a child. Soft hearted, but tough at the same time.

"I knew a group like that once. Battled one of them quite often. He really got under my skin." The trainer admitted with a small grin. "I was stronger, but his ideology really pissed me off. Eventually he beat me though. Made me think about how I thought about things." He shook his head. "Regardless, not sure what issues you're having. Not sure if it's between your companions, or its you, or between one of your companions and you, but trust me when I say that it's a lot tougher, but more rewarding to do the right thing. If you know what's going on, fully, the right choice is easy to make." And with that, the trainer walked to leave. "Good luck."

"Wait!" Miette called out. The trainer looked at her. Miette placed a hand over her chest and bowed very lightly, courteously introducing herself. "My names Miette."

The trainer smiled. Mimicking the motions, he spoke. "Paul."

* * *

Ash was bored. Incredibly bored.

Miette had been gone a lot longer than expected, and he was eager to start moving to the next town. He found himself fidgeting. Tapping his arm with his fingers, tapping his foot in the ground, biting his lips. He had energy to spare, and he was eager to get moving.

"Ash, you should relax a bit." Serena told him. She was sat on a wooden bench, scrolling through what looked like a news report on her tablet. She has the tip of her thumb between her teeth as she read it, apparently very invested in whatever report she was reading.

"It's been two years since I got out of Kanto, Serena, I've been locking up this energy for far too long for my liking." Ash responded, trying to calm down.

"Good point." Serena admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "Hey, take a look at this."

Ash walked over to the blonde girl and sat next to her, peering over her shoulder. She had been on the regional news network, and had been looking up times for showcases, and if they had been announced yet. While she had had no luck with that, she and found something else. Something a bit more disturbing.

"Remember that break in Clemont was dealing with?" Serena asked, using her finger to scroll down the page. "Turns out that wasn't the only one. There've been lots of them since early last year."

She was correct. As the year had gone on, attacks on remote scientist teams had become common. A theme seemed to be emerging. The scientist of their bodyguards, in most cases, both, would be rendered unconscious, and unable to recall anything about their attackers. Occasionally, a bodyguard would be physically injured, but it was always nothing life threatening. Along with that, what seemed to be a targeting attempt, the attackers would always seem to target the best and busiest scientists in the area, and steal completely useless data. In the east, a group had been researching the adamant orb, and how it connected to Dialga, the master of time, but instead, had completely left it alone in place of data on Pokemon like Metagross. They also seemed to avoid stealing valuables, or other Pokemon, even when they were placed in direct view of the attackers. On scientist claimed he had attempted to bribe them, but it had had absolutely no effect.

So far, the attackers had no names, faces, distinguishing features, or ties to any organisation. They were about as well known as ghosts.

"That's... Unsettling." Ash said, skimming over the page.

"Yeah." Serena closed her tablet and put it into her bag, and placed that on the ground.

"I've seen a lot of teams before, working towards some sort of goal." Ash said, leaning back on the bench. "Remember Team Flare?"

"The Fashion Failures?"

"Yeah, those guys. Groups like that are more common than I'd like to admit. I must have run into about eight or nine of them. But they always had a clear cut goal, and it was obvious to see what they were going for based on their activities, and once all the pieces were in place. Team Magma wanted to create new land, so they went to a volcano. Not exactly the hardest thing to piece together, but with these guys?" Ash blew out his cheeks, and looked into the sky. "I have no idea what they're up to." The raven haired Kantoean shrugged. "Hopefully they'll slip up soon."

Serena sighed, content. She liked hearing about Ash's old adventures. Although she hadn't met any of his old friends.

A flurry of rapidly approaching footsteps grabbed both the travellers attention. Their blue haired backing friend stood, her hands on her knees, as she caught her breath. She looked flustered. "Sorry... I'm... Haaaah..." She took a deep breath, standing up properly. She would occasionally pause in the middle of a sentence, to catch her breath. One of her eyes was tightly shut. Her amber left eye focused onto her favourite non-couple. "Sorry I'm late..."

"What kept you?" Serena asked, standing up herself.

"I uh..." Miette took a few deep breaths. Apparently, she had run a fair distance to meet up with the two. "I was... Having a talk with someone."

"Who?" Ash asked, curious. "An old friend?"

"No, nothing like that." Miette said, shaking her head. "Just someone in the store. He uh... Helped me select some Pokemon food. Best value and best for Pokemon preferences. I guess he saw I was indecisive." She lied. She didn't feel like explaining to the two.

"Well, you're here now." Ash smiled, not pressing the matter any further. He tapped Serena's shoulder, and she held up her tablet for the group to see. She pressed a few buttons in rapid frequency, and it showed a route the Kantoean and Kalosian had planned out. "Okay, here's the plan. We're heading to Revolution Castle. Apparently. Serena decided it was some place I needed to see."

Serena nodded. "It's an old castle from a few hundred years ago. It was after a revolution, hence the name. It's supposed to be more symbolic than anything. But regardless, it's quite the sight."

Ash nodded. Revolution Castle. He hasn't heard of it before Serena had mentioned it. It certainly wasn't his first thought. A revolution was essentially an uprising. In Kalos' case, it was the uprising of civilians against an aristocratic leadership. It was what made Kalos the region it was now, no longer ruled by a monarch. Still, it felt somewhat ironic. Castles were what you often associated kings and queens with, or at least the olden kings and queens. And the Kalosians had built a castle to symbolise their freedom from a king and queen. That was like celebrating the end of a war by firing a gun into another region. He shrugged. It was built now. Nothing could be done. He had to admit, that premise alone was intriguing. If nothing else, it would be a nice place to visit.

"I remember that place." Miette said, using a handkerchief she keep to wipe her brow of sweat. "I went when I was a kid." She smiled at her nostalgic memories. "That was one of the last places I visited with my mother. I remember, there was this drawbridge that terrified me. They started dropping it, and I thought it was gonna crush me." She laughed at herself. "I was a dumb kid."

The group began walking out of Lumiose City as Miette recounted her childhood memories, and her childhood phobia of this specific drawbridge. Ash noticed it was one of the few times Miette spoke about herself. Certainly the first time she had mentioned family. Around him, anyway. Perhaps to Serena. Then again, it had been two years.

Miette suddenly stopped walking. Her gaze was fixed to the floor. Her two companions stopped what they were doing and looked back at their blue haired friend. "Listen." Miette said. "I uh..."

Ash raised an eyebrow. She was nervous about something. Unsure. It was weird. Surreal. Miette had a confident personality. It was rare to see her unsure about anything. She seemed to be a believer that it was better to be wrong with confidence than correct with timidness. Better to be occasionally wrong, but be sure of yourself. To see her unsure was odd. "Look... Ash, you're not here for long. I uh... " she seemed to smile a bit on one side of her mouth. "Well... I was thinking. If you two wanted to spend your time together alone, then I've got no problem with that. I could go ahead. Meet Serena again after you've left."

"What makes you say that?" Serena asked, her eyebrows raised. She was curious, but above all, shocked.

Miette shrugged. She didn't want to reveal the advice she had received. _This feels like the right thing to do._ "Well, my thinking is... Well, to be honest, I'm sort of embarrassed. I mean, I still remember all those... Uh... How do I put it..."

Serena tilted her head. "You're still hung up on those?" She had figured out Miette's excuse quickly. All Miette's attempts to 'steal' Ash away. "I didn't think you'd be embarrassed. You mentioned being remorseful, but never embarrassed."

"Well... I am."

Ash just watched the exchange in utter confusion. _What the hell was 'those' supposed to mean?_ "Uh, can someone clarify for me? I'm completely lost here."

"Remember when we went to that dance?" Serena asked.

"Yeah?"

"Basically all events like that."

Ash tilted his head back and made a silent 'oh' motion. He them smiled. "Water under the bridge. And besides..." Ash looked at Serena and smiles. "Me and Serena thought about it. Serena had an idea that you might say something."

Miette looked back at Serena. The shocked expression was completely gone. Now there was just a smug smile. She had predicted this.

Ash smiled. Warmly and calmly at the blue haired girl. "Hey, I don't really know what you're thinking, but as far as I'm concerned, you're out friend. Serena thinks of you as a friend. Regardless of anything else, you're one of us. You want to travel with us, than it doesn't matter what happened, when it happened, or why it happened between you and me, whatever it exactly is about it you're embarrassed about."

Miette couldn't help but smile. ' _He's still oblivious. But... He's got a really good heart._

 _He'll make Serena really happy.'_

"Well..." She said, giving in. She couldn't say no after all of that. In a last ditch effort, but one she was sort of hoping would fail, she said, "Are you sure you don't mind me being around?"

"We've traveled a long time together, Miette." Serena said with a sincere smile on her face. "Rivalry aside, like Ash said, you're one of us now."

Miette nodded in appreciation. "And Ash?..."

He decided not to bother reiterating his reasons for it. Instead, Ash just held out his hand for her to shake. "Welcome to our world of madness."

She could have almost geared up. She extended hers and shook his hand. "Thanks."

 _'I really thought they might take the opportunity to get rid of me.' Miette_ thought. ' _I guess not. But it seemed like the right thing to do...'_ She thought back to the purple haired boy she had spoken with briefly. His words made sense. Miette sighed again. _"Maybe it's that I don't know everything about the situation between these two.'_

* * *

His outfit hadn't changed a lot in the past few years. He liked the style he wore. It suited him, he felt. And that wasn't particularly important, how he looked. He wanted to become stronger. That's all he wanted. So his clothes could be damned for all he cares.

He remembered the times in his life where he was unreasonable with his Pokèmon. Where he pushed them to a point beyond reasonable. To breaking point, he didn't want power, he was obsessed with it then. Fearful of his own weakness, he strove to become stronger. He wouldn't accept failure. It was victory or the Pokemon was little more than a detriment to his team and would be dropped. Abandoned in some cases.

Cases he now regretted.

He hadn't changed in his longing for power. That wasn't going to change. Nor had his hunting down of the strongest Pokemon in any given area he could find. His training philosophy hadn't changed either. But his treatment of Pokemon as individuals had changed. He no longer treated them as harshly. He pushed them, yes, but he wasn't unreasonable with them. When he was, it was because he knew they could do better, not because he demanded they be better. The reality of his methods now was, he would push, but he wouldn't shove. Pokemon at worked hard were rewarded. When they did well, they were praised. It wasn't about victory anymore.

It was about strength, for himself and his Pokemon.

He remembered when Ash had last spoken to him, after the Sinnoh league. He hadn't liked Ash. Barely even acknowledged him. The only time he ever did was to shut him up and put him down. Such was one of the few things that made him smile. But by the end of the Sinnoh league, he had learned something he hadn't forgotten since.

He might not like Ash. But he definitely respected him.

It had been a slow respect, but he had gained it. Their conflict and rivalry was something that had filed his initial antagonism towards him, but he knew that that had passed.

Paul let out a sigh. "What the hell has me thinking about those days?" He wondered aloud. He shoved his hands into his pockets and made his way around the corner. He looked around for a place to eat. Preferably somewhere with Sinnoh food. He hadn't eaten anything from his native region in a while. He passed the Pokemon centre, glancing through the window. He saw a Shinx looking at his from behind the glass. He stopped, and looked back at the Shinx, the two holding each other's glares for a couple of seconds, before the tiny electric type smiled at him. It must have been called by its trainer, because it's ears perked, and it jumped down. Paul's gaze unconsciously followed it for a few seconds before he broke off. By that time, however, he was more focused on the flier in the window.

A flier for a competition held not far from here a place he could test his and his Pokemons strength.

"Revolution Castle, huh?" He read aloud. "Test your mettle." He folded his arms. "Hrmm..."

* * *

 **So, who was expecting Paul to show up of all people?**

 **Throwing Paul into this mix for mostly one reason originally. And that meaning will make itself clear as time progresses. But what will happen at Revolution Castle? I wormer myself. I haven't planned this far ahead yet.**

 **But at any rate, I have big news regarding my own original works. The first idea of many, "Cosmic Hand", is now available for reading on WattPad. A link to my page will be updated into my profile hopefully by the time this goes up, and if not, should be within the hour. Chapter one is ready to read, and totals up to roughly 10,000 words. It's a big project of mine, and I plan to see it through to the end. Don't worry, it shall never interfere with me bringing you guys your regular fix. Ideas for the Mass Effect fanfiction I plan to wrote are also underway. I have the story planned, going over the details in my head. I have the plot planned out. All it would take would be for me to the put pen to paper and get it all down. It would be a more personal story, and one of my much more fanfiction-y fanfictions. If be relying on the willing suspension of disbelief of the willing suspension of disbelief. Multiple reasons for that. You'll see if you do choose to read it when it comes out.**

 **Also, I plan to make a small unique image for this story, the image I use now is mostly one I used for the sake of filling the space. I've seen lots of Mass Effect fanfictions with their own unique icons, so I reckon it's time I used that Photoshop training my college put me through to some use for you guys. In the extraordinarily unlikely event someone wanted to make one, do let me know. In fact, one that subject, anything relating to my works or any thing I do, let me know. I love hearing from you guys, it's all the motivation I need. Half the fun is writing. The other half is reading that you guys like my writing.**

 **At any rate, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you did, be sure to review and follow of you aren't already to join us on this ride. Hope to see you next time. See ya!**


	10. Guilt

_Authors note - I finally finished Super Mystery Dungeon! Freaking amazing game, a great runtime, my save file was up to 36 hours, a nice few additional gimmicks, a nice story, but... They keep screwing up the sad moments for me. This was the only mystery dungeon I didn't cry at. And I look forward to this series to making my cry. It proves its done an amazing job. It was sad, but I wasn't in tears. I still hold up 'The Explorers of' trilogy for having the saddest ending of all the mystery dungeons. Although Super definitely shows signs of improvement. I found myself second and triple, even quadruple guessing certain aspects of the game. Cameos from other games was nice, my favourite being Emolga ^_^ Although now I'm curious as to as to what happened to Paradise and all the other Mystery Dungeon teams. Such mystery ^_^ anyway, enough of my ranting._

* * *

Alive.

That was one of the only words Ash could use to describe his feelings when traveling. Alive. He never felt more at home, ironically, than when he was traveling foreign roads and pathways. He had never particularly like the atmosphere of Pallet town. It felt too safe for him. Familiar. Uneventful. Nothing worth mentioning seemed to happen there when he was growing up. A safe hometown was always nice of course, but he had felt sheltered. He knew every single inch of his hometown, inside and out, exploring and looking for something exciting. He was usually disappointed. He didn't hate his hometown, at all, but he hated how he was always cooped up like he had been at home. Near no way to have any of the adventures Ash longed for. Though he had tried his damnedest to make adventures as a kid. He understood why the town was like it was. He didn't like it, or particularly agree with it, but he understood it.

Being cooped up back there for two years had felt like a prison sentence. Sometimes, he would sneak out onto the nearby routes and just walk around. It was something he did to clear his head. It left him plenty of time to think. And thought he had. About lots of things.

The group of three followed the route Serena and Ash and planned. It was an estimated day or two to reach, depending on their speed. They would have to camp out, that much was certain. It was a nice route to camp out on, regardless. Acres of fields, roaming with wild Pokemon. Peaceful herbivorous Pokemon, like Mareep, Sentret, Skiddo and Gogoat. Yanma and Beautifly would hover above the ground, before darting away. A cool breeze carried Flabebé and Floette along, holding tightly onto the flowers that they relied on for their life force. It was a picture of naturally perfected scenery.

Ash found himself sighing contently a lot during their trip.

He felt alive.

* * *

A medium sized campfire was the only light source in the field that evening. Two tents surrounded it, kept at a reasonable distance of course. Three human figures sat around the fire. The silhouette of a Pikachu also sat around it, on occasion jumping onto one of the human silhouettes.

Serena had become quite adept at camping in the two years separation. It had been out of necessity. She had to learn to do it on her own, and she had certainly outdone herself. Someone could easily mistake her for a regular hiker with the ease and speed she could pitch a ten up and unload her equipment now. Despite that, it was clear that it was not something she found enjoyable. She didn't seem to look satisfied or happy that it was done. She was basically expressionless. She had gotten hers sorted out before Ash had gotten halfway, though. That seemed to amuse her. "Need a hand, Ash?"

"That... Yeah, that'd be great." Ash said, somewhat awkwardly, as he fumbled with some tent pegs and a hammer. Serena laughed softly and knelt next to him, helping him set it all up. His partner Pikachu simply observed this, grinning at the, what looked like, role reversal. It had been Ash helping Serena with pitching tents two years ago. Now it was the opposite. It could be forgiven, as Ash hadn't had much practice in the last two years. When the camp had come to Oaks lab, he had simply watched the kids pitch their own tents. Part of the job when he had helped there.

"Don't mind me." Miette muttered, humorously and sarcastically. She had even less done than Ash had. "I'll just flounder here on my own." She held up two handfuls of unpacked, unstructured tent.

Serena ignored her, while Ash laughed, feeling a bit guilty. Once his tent was pitched, both trainers went over to help Miette, who was having some uncharacteristic trouble with her tent. The tent refused to stay up, and seemed to collapse in on itself whenever it actually got up. The events had seen Miette becoming slowly more and more irritated.

"I think I might've found your issue, Miette." Ash said with a somewhat bemused smile as he held up a pole from inside the tent. A perfect snap at the centre. "This pole isn't gonna hold up anything."

Miette knelt down by Ash and looked. She hasn't seen it when sliding the poles into their places of the tent. She ran her fingers across it, feeling the jagged edge pickle her skin. She then sighed. "Great." She muttered passive aggressively. "That's just... That's just great."

"You'll have to share mine." Serena offered, shaking her head in her hand, a combination of exhaustion and amusement evident in her voice.

"Thanks." Miette muttered. She then sighed. "I'll have to pack this up again for now. I'll see what I can't get sorted out at the castle tomorrow, and anything I can't get, I'll have to check for at the next town."

While the blue haired girl sorted out that, Ash and Serena started to prepare the food. While it was certainly nothing extravagant, it was serviceable. There was no large spread like Clemont would often make. Their meal tonight consisted of some meat and mostly of rice. Company was to be the main seasoning to this meal.

Miette had finally managed to push everything into her bag again when felt the wind pass over her, making her shudder. Part of that was the clothing she usually wore, but the majority of it was that this particular evening was just bitter cold. She wasn't alone in this observation. Ash and Serena suddenly seemed to be a lot more chilly than they had been a few seconds ago. Even being next to a fire hadn't helped.

"I don't suppose that's ready yet?" Miette asked, throwing her bag inside Serena's tent for safekeeping. She knew she'd feel better once she had some food in her. She wasn't particularly fussy about what food, either.

"Just about." Ash commented, looking inside the pan filled with boiling water and rice. "Serena, you grab this. I'll sort out Pikachu's food."

Serena nodded and switched positions with Ash, and began to separate the water from the rice, and collect the meat from its separate frying pan. They did both with admirable speed. The portions on each plate weren't exactly up to much, but there was enough to fill someone. In terms of taste, It would be rather bland.

Another gust of wind chilled all three trainers to the bones, making each one shiver individually. "Here, grab your plate and duck inside my tent." Serena told them, passing a plate to Ash while she carried hers and Miette's herself. Her companions agreed, and complied. Once Inside, Ash saw why Serena had suggested it. She had a portable power outage set, and a mobile heater. Simply due to how much power it could store, It wouldn't last more than an hour... But that was gonna be at least an hour of warmth. Chances were, they'd all be asleep by the time that ran out, and it wouldn't matter after that. Of course, he would still have to brave out the cold again to reach his own tent, but for now, he could enjoy the warmth here.

Serena quickly set to work turning on the heater, and within a few moments, the heater was dispensing warm air into the tent, much to the warmth of all inside it. While it was a solo tent, there was enough room for three people inside. In fact, there was probably enough room to fit four or five people inside, provided they didn't mind being in the same room. Serena quickly slid inside her sleeping bag, the same pure pink one she had had two years ago. She already looked incredibly comfortable and snuggled up. The three began to eat their food In relative silence. Sure enough, it was a relatively plain tasting meal.

"Hold on." Miette said, rummaging through her bag. A curios glance was traded between Ash and Serena, before Miette produced a bottle of sauce of some description. She applied it to her own food first. It had a cream-looking colour to it, and it seemed to have black dots peppered around it. It made the meal Miette had look a bit like a curry of some sort. Whatever it was, Miette seemed to enjoy it. She then threw it for Ash to catch. "Here. It'll put _some_ flavour into it."

Ash caught the bottle in his right hand. He glanced at it, checking for a label of some kind to tell him what it was, before shrugging his shoulders, deciding it couldn't possibly make what he had any worse. He was right. It was spicy, but it was nice. The bottle was quickly passed to Serena, who seemed to have an equally pleasantly surprised reaction. Though when Ash thought about it, it wasn't really a surprise. Miette was a baker. It did seem logical that she knew some cooking basics. Her just having a sauce that would help out this bland meal was just luck. Very good luck, but luck.

Their meals were finished a lot faster than had been expected. Ash sat next to the exit of the tent, with Pikachu now cooing in its sleep. He ran his hand along his partner Pokemons yellow fur coat absentmindedly, as he often did.

Miette was setting up her sleeping bag on the opposite side of the tent to Serena, her intention being to give her friend the space she would need to turn in her sleep. Miette knew she didn't. Well, she was confident she didn't.

Serena meanwhile just laid down and seemed to just get comfortable with her current position. She seemed to be curled up into a half ball, like she was going to sleep in the hands around her knees position, but didn't quite get that far. Whatever she was sleeping like, she looked immensely comfortable. "That was nice..." She commented with a content with, referring to her meal.

Ash nodded in agreement. "It was actually nice." She looked towards Miette. "Why'd you have that bottle, anyway?"

"It's something I made a few days ago. Never had the chance to try it with something. Seemed as good a time as any."

"Well, thanks." Ash said with a smile. "That was gonna be a bland meal without it."

"I thought you might like it."

Ash sighed in content as well. This tent was incredibly warm. He wasn't surprised that Serena had planned ahead for cold nights like this. She was a much more city person than a country person. She was always more at home in bedrooms at Pokemon centres than any tent. An automated warming device was the closest she could get to air conditioning on colder nights.

"Nice thinking with the heater, Serena." He said, complimenting his friend. "Wish I'd thought of that when I went to Snowpoint in Sinnoh a few years ago." He remembered the cold nights they had been forced to spend in tents. The breeze outside didn't bother him all that much after that, but he preferred this heater, for certain.

He didn't get a response. He tilted his head, and noticed Serena had her eyes closed. She had already fallen asleep. Sound asleep. Her hand was tucked underneath her chin, and her face looked peaceful. She seemed to have a drowsy smile on her face as she fell asleep, and it stuck to her lips.

"Serena?" Miette asked a bit louder. No movement whatsoever. She was out like a light. Like she hadn't slept peacefully in weeks. Months.

 _'Cute.'_ Ash found himself thinking. He just watched her for a while. He didn't know why. Well, he did... But thinking of it like that... It made this seem weird. Like he was a stalker or something. He tried to tear his eyes away. He couldn't.

"Why don't you just tell her?" Miette asked Ash. Ash turned his head to face her. Her face was different than what he expected. Not smiling. No jokes. No teasing. She was being serious. Her eyes looked into Ash's, full of sincerity. Inviting. Friendly. Words Ash never thought he could use to describe Miette. Ash would have denied any romantic feelings towards the blonde Kalosian. He would have denied it to anyone else. Absolutely anyone else. But he knew, against this baker / performer, it was pointless. Even if he didn't feel anything towards Serena, he knew the blue haired girl would have pressed the matter anyway. Lying was pointless. Ash sighed.

"...I abandoned her."

Miette raised her eyebrows.

"You didn't see the state she was in when I had to go. When I... Chose to go. She looked... She tried to smile through it. To see me off happily. But the night before that... I heard her. She was crying." Ash sighed at the memory. These thoughts had haunted him. Since he had returned to the Kalos region, these thoughts had been in the front of his mind. For so long, he had kept them to himself. Now he had started talking about them, he couldn't stop.

"She was crying so much. And I still chose to go. I chose to go, knowing how much it would hurt her.

So, why did I do it? I really don't know. There were a few reasons, I guess... None of them I'm particularly proud of in retrospect. I guess the main reason was because I just wanted to keep going on my journey. To leave the failure at the Kalos League behind me. I came so close, and got knocked out the way I did..." Ash chuckled. "It was like getting kicked in the ribs. I accepted it and moved on from it, the better trainer won. But after that, I felt victory being so close. I just want wanted to get out of here and get stronger. Get better, so I can win next time. My Pokemon deserve better than constant failure from me. A loss is the trainers fault, so I have to become stronger along with them.

Then there was Oak. Not sure if Serena told you, but Professor Oak - He's a researcher in the Kanto region, in the town I grew up - He was studying Mega Evolution. He has been for the last two years. I've seen lots of it first hand. He wanted my help. My opinions, my Pokemon to help run his tests. I trained a lot there. All my Pokemon are tough like nails now. I wanted to return his kindness to me. He put up with my stupidity from day one. You know I was late to pick up my first Pokemon, and Pikachu was all they had left? Best mistake I ever made, but for Oak? I was just another idiot kid. I'm almost certain he gave me Pikachu out of pity. I wanted to return that favour. Even if it was years ago, and he says I already repaid it. His generosity that day has let me have years of excitement, traveling and... Just absolute sheer joy, that's something I'll always have to thank him for. "

Ash laughed lightly. Miette just sat there, taking all of this in. This hardly seemed like the Ash she knew. That reckless boy she met two years ago, that she felt a small infatuation for. A usually confident, eager, and happy go lucky attitude, flavoured with heroism and bravery. The person she had come to respect as well as Serena. And now, someone she could call a friend. She never saw this side to him. One that seemed filled with regrets from the past. Mistakes he felt he made. Silly, stupid, paranoid things he shouldn't blame himself for.

"Know something though?" Ash asked. He had a dull smile on his face. "I'd do anything to go back two years and slap myself in the face for leaving.

While I was there, training, helping, not traveling, I had so much time to think. To reflect. And my mind always found its way back to her." He nodded at the sleeping Kalosian. "Took me a while to figure out why. Even now, I'm still struggling to understand things... But, every time I think about it, I eventually ask myself, what kind of person can just _abandon_ someone like that, and then expect them to want to be with them?" He put particular emphasis on the word 'abandoned'. Like he was forcing it out. "Serena still treats me like a friend... She still is a friend... I don't deserve that, I don't think. Not after I chose to leave her here to cry like I did. Once I thought about that, I couldn't stop. I messaged her. I wanted to apologise... I never could bring myself to do it though. Something stopped me."

Miette stayed respectfully silent for a few seconds while Ash finished his sentence. Ash looked like an anvil had been lifted from him. He still clearly felt guilt, but it was no longer cooped up. "...What stopped you?"

Ash looked at the ceiling of the tent. It flapped lightly against the wind. "Fear? Anxiety? Remorse? One of those... Or... Shame. That's the word. I felt ashamed. I refused to eat for a couple days after these thoughts got into my head. I felt like absolute crap." He looked at Serena and smiled. "I keep thinking, maybe she'll forgive me. Maybe there's still a chance... But... She deserves someone who can make her happy. All the time. Not some of the time. Not someone who abandons her to try and fulfil their own ambition."

Ash sighed. It was all out. Everything he had kept caged up for two years, laid flat on the surface. These thoughts had always been a part of him. Ever since he thought like this years ago, he realised what a mistake he had made. What a terrible, terrible thing he had done. What a stupid thing he had done. He realised how much he cared for Serena. How much he still cared for her. How much he..

"She doesn't blame you." Miette said, firmly. Her expression had become stern, her eyebrows buried into her face, and a sort of frown that wasn't angry, up but seemed to come more from concern than anger. In fact, her entire face seemed to express a soft concerned frown, rather than one made from anger.

Ash looked at her. "How do..."

"You're not to blame, Ash. Serena wanted you to follow your dream. Hell, she still wants you too, even now. She's too caring for her own damn good. She knew your time together would end eventually. She wanted to enjoy it while it was there, and worry about the separation later."

Miette sighed. And then took a deep, deep breath. "She told me all about how she met you. How you said goodbye the first time, how much she cried then. How much she wanted to find you. How much she never forgot you. Even seeing you fall from the top of that tower, she remembered your name. When she saw your face, she knew it was you. She went to find you the first chance she got. She stood with you through everything you did. She saw you off with a smile of sadness, but of sincerity too. She wanted you to achieve your goals." Miette smiled at Ash. "Serena is one of the most loyal people I've ever known. If anyone would blame you for what you did, it's not her."

Ash looked at the sleeping girl again. He still remembered how she looked when he left.

"Her life had..." Miette thought for a moment. Thinking what to say. She remembered the advice she had been given, and decided not to press the matter too far. It could only lead to more confusion between the two. Despite what Miette wanted to do, she stayed quiet. She ended the conversation however, with one final remark.

"She has brightened up so much since a certain Kantoean came back into her life."

* * *

The sound of yelling and thudding, laughter and running could be heard in the field around Professor Oaks laboratory at these times of year. Tents pitched in the fields alongside the Pokemon that roamed the fields. A group of about 45 children, all from different regions and backgrounds, all meeting for the first time. It had been a typical camp this year. Friends were made, and rivalries were formed. Bonds were made, the kind that would last for decades to come. Some people had met their closest friends at these camps, and this year was no exception.

Ash sat a bit away from the rest of the group, leaning against a tree, smiling and watching the sunset that he liked to see every evening. It was something amazingly beautiful. It was one of the few things he actively did enjoy about living in Pallet Town. He found himself wondering about the rest of the world from here. Who could see the same thing he was seeing. Where they were seeing it from. How beautiful it was to them. It was a matter of perspective when you thought about it.

"Ash?"

He looked behind him and saw the friend he had made over the duration of the camp. Serena. The girl he had helped out purely on instinct. It had certainly been an overly dramatic rescue, especially seeing as she had only fallen over. Still, he didn't regret helping her whatsoever. She had turned out to be a really fun person.

"Hey Serena." He replied to his friend. He gestured for her to come and sit next to him, which she did quickly and readily. "It's pretty, huh?"

The young girl looked out to the Kantoean sunset. It was beautiful. Oranges and reds mixed together to form a bleeding pink colour across the sky. Reflecting on the clouds, making dark pink blobs across the sky. A burning red sun, halfway hidden by a hill in the distance, trees, plants, and lonesome cottages dotted the hills, forming what was Pallet Town. It looked like a perfect art picture, encasing the entire beauty of the natural world, and the advancements of the civilised world.

"It is..."

"Hey, is it like this in the Kalos region?" Ash asked, his regular dumb grin spreading across his face. He asked the Kalos native wide eyed, curios and excited. He had asked Serena lots of questions about the Kalos region, his curiosity sometimes overwhelming her.

The girl fiddled with her fingers. "Um, sometimes. Sometimes when it's very early in the morning. But I haven't seen a sunset this pretty..."

Ash looked back at the sunset with a smile. "Don't you find it interesting?"

"What?"

"All over the world, there is only one sun, but everyone sees a different image of it. It's always like this here, but not where you are. Doesn't that make you interested in the rest of the world outside your hometown?"

Serena thought for a second. She had no real issues staying in her home town, for the moment anyway. But she could see why it was something that interested her friend. "Uh huh. I guess so."

"Speaking of that, aren't you going home tomorrow?"

Serena looked at the grass in the wind sadly. "Yeah..."

"Are you looking forward to going home?"

She shook her head. "No..."

"Why not?" Ash asked, his expression now changed, from a dumb grin to a frown of concern. He had turned to face her with his entire body, now in his knees, leaning closer to her face, as if inspected her for tears. He didn't find any. Although Serena did back up, her face a bit red.

"B-Because..." Serena looked left to right, hoping no one was around. It seemed clear enough. She tilted her head towards the ground, looking at the grass beneath her. "...Because I don't wanna say goodbye yet..."

"Goodb-... Oh."

"I didn't wanna come to stupid camp. I wanted to stay home, but my mommy made me come here. I didn't like it here. It was horrible. I didn't know anyone. I kept making myself look silly. I wanted to go home... But... You made it fun. And I don't wanna leave yet."

Ash smiled at his friend again. He understood. He didn't want to see her go yet either. Pallet Town only had a few kids his age, none of which he got along with particularly well with. There was Gary, but the two seemed to butt heads quite frequently. With Serena, he had never had that issue. The two just got along perfectly. They never argued. They never fought. And now, they had to be separated, by a continent, and an ocean. "Hey, do you still have that handkerchief I gave you?"

Serena's eyes widened a bit. "Oh, yeah." She said, reaching into her pocket. Her leg had healed, but she had kept a good care of it. No creases or crevasses or anything. It was in as good condition as when Ash had used it. "I wanted to give it back to you. It's yours..." She held it out in her hands for him to take.

Instead, Ash held her hand in both of his, and closed her fingers around it tightly. "Keep hold of it. Something you can remember me by." He smiled again, this time, more sad than happy, but warm and caring simultaneously. He knew this was their last night before they had to go their separate ways, but he firmly believed... "We'll see each other again."

"But... How will I know it's you?" Serena asked, her eyes widened. She was clearly upset. She didn't want this to be it, but she knew it was. She was on the verge of tears, not wanting this to be some of their final moments together.

Ash pointed at the Z marks on his cheeks. "You won't recognise these?" He asked with a small laugh. Despite her best efforts not to, Serena smiled too. "Hrmm... I know. I'll stay like this as long as I can. I'll keep my hair like this, so you can recognise me." He suggested, referring to his messy, raven hair. "And I'll make sure I remember you, Serena. The girl with the straw hat."

* * *

Serena woke up from her dream.

She had had it since Ash had left. Left her again. She found her silly smile on her face still, even after waking up. It was still late. The heater had turned off, and she could hear the wind beat the side of the tent. It was actually sort of relaxing to hear.

She looked around the tent with one eye. Miette was sleeping to the side, having turned over once or twice from the looks of things her sleeping bag was now around her waist, a result of her turning in her sleep. Serena glanced around, looking for Ash.

There he was. Still sat where he was before she fell asleep. Only now he was asleep. Sat upright, he was leaning lightly against the tents side. Pikachu was still on his lap. Serena didn't mind him being in her tent. It was bitter cold outside after all. His tent almost certainly was frozen cold. She didn't mind.

She smiled at him. ' _When I ran Into him again... He didn't recognise me... But he did remember the straw hat girl. He still remembered me. He kept his promise. And he was right. We did see each other again.'_

She sighed. Content.

That dream had always left her feeling sad. Alone. Now it was a cherished memory. Something she could hold close to her heart. She felt like she'd finally gotten a peaceful sleep for the first time in the last two years.

* * *

 **And so ends 'Guilt'.**

 **My plan for this one was the shame and guilt Ash would feel for leaving someone who he loves behind. Ash, I feel, would feel this sort of guilt, because despite everything bait him, he's a very kind hearted guy.**

 **So, Pokemon Sun and Moon was announced!... Personally, while I'm excited, I'm not ready for this new instalment, mostly because we'll lose the best character ever introduced into the Pokemon universe - Serena.**

 **I am... Not looking forward to seeing her say goodbye...**

 **However! You can be damn sure to count on me doing my part to keep Amourshipping alive. I will keep making fanfictions for as long as I can.**

 **I do hope you're all enjoying the story that I'm crafting. Your support is helping me come up with all sorts of ideas and plot points. I have the main deal sorted, and the next few chapters have all been planned out in my head, next thing to do will be to transfer those ideas onto paper, and then to create the final fanfic. I've also taken your feedback on the characters to heart, and I have come up with a plan for all the characters I've set in motion. I assure you all, I'll will do my best to create a story you will all enjoy, and hopefully, one unique to my writing style and to Amourshipping in general.**

 **To read my own original story, Cosmic Hand, please view my profile. The support there would mean the destroyed world to me.**

 **I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and will stick around for whatever I write next. See you all!**


	11. Anticipation

_**Heavy battle based chapters coming up. If you don't like them... I don't blame you at all. I can barely stand reading battle scenes myself. This is also the first chapter I've ever written with autocorrect turned off, so if there are more or less errors, thats why. For those of you who don't know, i write all of my work on an iPad, as opposed to a PC. Anyway, Let me know. Ill decide weather to keep it on or off depending on the answers. At least my screw ups are somewhat salvageable.**_

* * *

Finally having packed everything into his backpack again, Ash scanned the area, with only one eye half open, taking stock on if anything was missing. He was extraordinarily tired. The night he had had hadn't exactly been what you could call comfortable. Warm, but not comfortable. Seeing as it was his own fault, he couldn't really complain.

"Feeling okay, Ash?" Serena asked him, seeing his pained expression, and how he was exhausted beyond all belief.

"I'll be fine." Ash said, just before yawning loudly. It had been a very long time since he had slept properly in a tent. He looked at Serena, embarrassed. "Sorry."

Serena smiled. "It's been a long time since I saw you look so tired."

Ash gave her a drowsy smile. "I've been in this on this trip region for collectively two days, and it's my first camping out in two years." He chuckled, and spoke on with thick sarcasm. "You really have to get used to the lack of warm beds and hot meals."

Serena placed a hand in her hip and returned the smile at the Kantoean. "My tent was warm when you slept in it."

Miette had to physically hold her hand over her mouth to stop her own remarks.

"Again, sorry, about that..." Ash apologised a second time. "Didn't mean to. I planned to get out to my own tent but..."

"Its fine, Ash. I'd rather that you stayed warm than go back to your tent. It would have been freezing." Serena accepted his apology, not really seeing why he apologised. She didn't mind it even slightly. It was preferable. She wanted him to stay in her tent every night... But the mere idea of suggesting that was embarrassing.

"Still." Ash said with a sigh. He then looked over his shoulder and chuckled. "Looks like we pitched my tent for nothing."

Miette had finished her stifled laughter and was now browsing Serena's tablet device, bringing up the map route for them all to re-examine. They could reach Revolution Castle within a couple of hours if they moved quickly. And moved quickly the group did. Serena in particular seemed in a hurry to get there as soon as possible, much to Miette's chagrin and Ash's curiosity. Ash knew a lot changed in two years, but he wondered, was this really Serena's personality change? It didn't seem it. She seemed excited, but it felt like a different kind of excited. Like she was excited for someone _else_ , and not herself. Like she was about to show the group something. She mentioned that she had visited the area as a kid. Perhaps it was a nostalgia trip for her. Whatever it was, it made Ash smile.

* * *

Ash looked around the area, taking in the entire area. He grinned, and turned around towards Serena. "You knew about this, didn't you?" He then tilted his head slightly, so Miette was in his field of view as well. "Both of you did, didn't you?"

Revolution Castle as it turned out, was now hosting a large battling tournament. Because Revolution Castle was a jousting area in the olden days, the battling here was seen as a return to tradition of sorts, albeit with much less physical harm to the people and the Pokemon.

The fields of grass surrounding the castle were absolutely packed with people and Pokemon from all different regions and backgrounds. People who had come solo, or people, like Ash's group, had arrived in small packs of friends, regardless, had all come with the same intentions. To give it their all at this competition. Ash could see it in the trainers surrounding him. Clenched fists, burrowed eyebrows, confident smiles, and a fire in their eyes. Many of them were in their late teens, with a few mid teens and early 20's adding age variety to the mix of trainers. They reminded him of the Kalos league. They reminded Ash of himself as well.

Miette threw her arms from the elbow down into the air in a mock surrender. "This one had nothing to do with me. This was all Serena's idea. I just... Didn't mention it to you, thats all."

Serena smiled at Ash. "I had a feeling you might like this."

Ash grinned. He looked back at the surrounding area. A beautiful landscape, dotted with competent battlers, in a highly competitive environment, surrounding Pokemon battling. He hadn't had a fully competent Pokemon battle in a very long time, but he knew the last one was against Tracey, and he knew for a fact that that was only because Tracey could see Ash was losing his mind with no opponents to battle. He had run mock battles between his own Pokemon, but that lacked the impact needed when actually battling.

Ash slammed his right fist into his empty open hand. "Damn right I do." His trademark grin spread across his face, a look he hadn't managed to achieve in the last two years. In a moment, the adrenaline started running into his veins at speed, which made him itch for a battle.

"Good to see you're so pumped, Ash." Miette said, her smirk now changing. Miette seemed to have have a few different smirks that you could recognise if you knew her well enough, and Serena saw the smirk that she had now. Competitive. "I think i might enter too."

"You, Miette?" Serena asked, rather surprised. "I didn't think tournaments were your thing. Well, battling tournaments, anyway."

"I took you on in a tournament the first time we met. Why wouldn't a tournament be my sort of thing?" Miette asked the blonde Kalosian with her grin.

"Well, technically that was a competition... And it wasn't battling focused either." Serena reminded her blue haired friend, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Serena sighed. She considered for a moment. "Oh, what the hell. Ill try out too."

"Seriously?" Ash asked, turning around to face Serena. He was clearly surprised. The reality of why Serena wanted to enter wasn't too complicated. She wanted to see if she and her Pokemon had grown stronger. But also better at performing. She figured that her performing style would help confuse opponents who fought with brute strength.

"I'm gonna be really bored if I don't." Serena reasoned. "I might as well try it. And besides... I remember something you said." She smiled. "Nothing i do with my Pokemon is a waste of time."

"Fair enough." Ash nodded, accepting her choice quickly, smiling at her explanation. He turned back to the castle. He felt his teeth grit against one another, his anxiety to begin his battling taking ahold of him. He was looking forward to the battling. It had been a long time since he had had a worthwhile fight.

* * *

Sign up had been incredibly simple. A signature on a dotted line on a forum, and they were in. Additional things like images for reference were computerised and taken from their online trainer profiles that were set up whenever a trainer registered for a regional league, or the showcases, contests, or whatever else there was. One thing that the group had unexpectedly learned was that this was a tag battle tournament. Serena seemed to look like she regretted her choice to sign up for a moment, but she signed along anyway, with encouragement from Ash. The rules were basic. There would be a single battle match, winners moving into the tag battles. This worked as both quality control and a thinning out process. This ensured that competent battlers were given their place, and lowered the numbers to an amount the organisers could work with, Tag battle partners were chosen completely at random. Whichever team won eight matches in a row would be the winner of the whole tournament. That meant seven matches per bracket. Ash had grinned at this. Lots of battles. Plenty of action. The tournament would last a couple of days, so they had plenty of time to act just as tourists as well.

Ash's first battle was later on in the day. Serena and Miette also had battles later in the day, so, with a few hours to kill, the group made their way into the stands, intent on watching the battles for a while. Ash was easily the most excited to get a look at the competition. Serena was interested in seeing if there was anything she could learn from the trainers. She had learned in the last two years that inspiration could be found absolutely anywhere she looked. For example, one of her most successful combinations had been a Stone Edge and Dark Pulse combination that she had adapted from watching it during the Kalos league. Miette had much less interest, but she would happily admit, she found just watching battles to be entertaining in its own way.

" _ **Welcome, one and all!"**_ The announcers voice suddenly boomed from the stadium, held in the castles main courtyard. The space was analogous to that of a league battlefield, and with an equal amount of watchers." ** _We are very happy to welcome you all to our third annual Revolution Castle Tag Team battle tournament!"_**

The crowd exploded in cheers and clapping, with people screaming their support of the event. Pikachu had to quickly cover its ears to protect its eardrums from such a loud and sudden uproar.

"These people are really into this event, huh?!" Ash asked, yelling to be heard.

"It's a huge event for the area!" Miette told Ash, clapping her own hands. "People use this to unwind! Its anticipated for the entire year!"

" _ **Without further ado, we would hate to keep you all waiting, so, we shall begin with the preliminary knock out solo battles immediately!"**_ The announcers voice exploded around the field, incentivising another explosive round of applause and screams and "Yeah!" And "Woo-hoo!"'s from all the audience, Ash, Miette, and even Serena included.

" ** _Our first match, first contestant is a three time annual visitor to the Revelation tournament, we ask you to please welcome Pierre Ciro!"_**

The late teenager that appeared on the battlefield looked confident, arrogant, and, acted, above everything else, like a huge show off. He was aware of his reputation, and he relished in the show and spectacle. His grey hair flowed past his brow, and cut off right above his eyebrows. His pure white jacket and jeans gave him a sense of cleanliness, like he intended to complete this entire tournament in a clean sweep. He approached his battle station, waving both arms towards the crowd, even blowing kisses randomly throughout the cheering masses.

"He's confident." Ash muttered. Pikachu nodded in his agreement with his trainer.

"He's been comfortably in the fourth up from winning all three years of the event. He came fourth int he first year, and second in the last two!" Miette explained. "He must be confident that he can win the whole thing this time around."

"Funny." Serena smirked. "I recall you acting a lot like him when we met you."

"Watch it." Miette warned, but with humour evident in her voice. She then looked back at the boy down in the battlefield. He was loudly declaring something about how he'd sweep the entire contest. "Well, if he's anything like me, he's about to suffer a _very_ rude awakening."

" ** _And now, welcoming our second trainer from the Sinnoh region, we have Paul!"_**

In that exact moment, Ash and Miette's minds were in perfect sync. They had the same thought, at the same time. ' _No way._ '

But it was.

Stepping out onto the battlefield, in his usual, calm, cool confident manner, there he was. His purple and black hoodie, and grey jeans he always wore. His purple hair was longer than Ash remembered. There didn't seem to be a single unneeded emotion in his entire body. No arrogance. No nervousness. Just a simple combination of confidence, and anticipation.

"Paul?!" Ash and Miette both gasped in pure shock simultaneously, and then immediately looked at each other.

"You _know_ him?" Ash asked, his jaw nearly dropping.

"Wait, _you_ know him?!" Miette echoed the same thoughts as Ash

Serena just kept looking between the two as they traded sentences, her head starting to spin. "Im so confused..."

"I - I met him in that store the other day. He's that person I ended up talking to for a while." Miette quickly explained, her gaze now returning to Paul on the battlefield. "He mentioned something about a rival he had once... Wait, that was you?!"

"Yeah." Ash nodded, also turning his gaze back to the rival he hadn't seen in years. It was close to three, four years he had last seen Paul. It was absolutely bizarre. What the hell was he doing in Kalos?

 _ **"The rules are simple. This will be a one on one battle, only one Pokemon per side"**_ The announcer made a dramatic pause. **_"You may begin!"_**

Pierre made the first move, clicking on his Pokeball and tossing it into the air, making a show out of that as well. He tossed it as high into the air as it would go. "Salamance, showtime!"

The Pokeball clicked again, before opening and releasing a ball of light that bellowed towards the battlefield. Quickly taking the form of the dragon type behemoth, the Pokemon materialised just a few inches from the ground. One the monster had materialised, gravity did the rest, and the heavy dragon fell onto the ground with a heavy crash. It arched its head back and let out a mighty roar, spreading its wings wide. Another show off. Like trainer, like Pokemon.

Paul had none of that extravagance when calling on his Pokemon. He simply threw the Pokeball with a backhand throw, allowing the Pokeball to click before calling out. "Torterra, Standby!"

A similar light erupted from Pauls Pokeball, forming the shape of Paul's oldest and one of his strongest Pokemon, his Torterra. Once the light shimmered away, Ash noticed how much more rugged Torterra looked. It had battled many, many, many times since he last saw it, and it had clearly been putting its own unique battling style to good use. The result of that seemed to be many scars from previous battles, but just by looking at Torterra, a simple signal was clear - Do not cross this Pokemon.

Pierre called the first move, after doing a flurry of overly dramatic hand motions, " Salamance, win this in one hit, and show everyone here how we're going to own this contest! Use Fire Fang!"

His Salamance roared with sheer ferocity, and began to move with speed towards the stationary grass/ground type. Ash knew Torterra. It could take the hit, no problem, but it would still cause a lot of damage, it could take hits all day, but all it would take was one really good, or really lucky hit from this Salamance, and that wouldn't matter.

Paul spoke calmly. "Frenzy Plant."

Salamance was now barely a few inched away from making contact with Torterra, and its pure, fierce nature was amplified. It proved just how brutal this Salamance was. This Salamance wanted blood. It wanted victory.

In a split second, that was taken away.

Giant, thorny vines emerged from the ground, and slammed into the dragon. For a second, it loomed like nothing happened. Then, the impact set in, and a shockwave was felt around the entire audience. The vines had impacted straight into Salamance's belly, the weakest point, with deadly accuracy. Such a strike was guaranteed to cause excessive damage. The impact was of such magnitude, Salamance was then sent flying into a wall, leaving a impact crater where it hit.

"Salamance!" Pierre called out to his dragon Pokemon, rushing out to it, the concern was evident in his eyes. His Pokemon was out cold, after just one hit. A hit that Salamance should have been four times resistant to. It had been completely defeated.

Pierre knelt by his Salamances head. His Pokemon had only one eye open and seemed to mutter some sort of apology to his trainer.

"Nah, buddy, you did great." Pierre reassured his defeated Pokemon. "Thanks for trying. Everyone saw how completely powerful you are." He held up his defeated dragons Pokeball up. "Alright Sal, get some rest." A red light enveloped his Pokemon, as his Salamance shrunk, and returned to its capsule home.

" _ **With a single hit, Torterra and Paul are the victors!"**_ The announcer declared to a chorus of cheering and applause. Paul didn't react. He didn't wave, and he barely acknowledged the cheers and praise. He looked up once at the crowd, and that was that. He returned Torterra without a word and made his exit back the way he had entered.

Miette and Serena both had their eyes as wide open as they possibly could. Their pupils shrunk, and both seemed to be shivering. The sheer force of power that had just been displayed was nothing short of terrifying. Miette wasn't sure weather she had just fallen in love, or was beyond terrified of the trainer she had just observed. Such strength seemed abnormal. Inhumane. Serena was just intimidated. She could already feel herself praying to never have to fight him.

Ash meanwhile, grinned the widest grin he had all day, and clapped his hands together once. "I didn't expect a thing less."

"Thats _normal_ for him?!" Miette asked, nearly shouting. Her eyes seemed to indicate a line between admiration and petrification.

Ash grinned again, and looked up at Pauls picture, now on the bug screen, with the word "Winner!" underneath it, in bold, bright golden Ariel Black font. He remembered the Sinnoh league, and the fights he had seen Paul in then.

They didn't even begin to compare to his newfound strength.

"Oh yeah." Ash replied. His hands made themselves into tight fists.

* * *

When Ash's battle came up, he was more than ready. His Pokemon had been selected, and he was more than eager to begin the contest. Once his name had been called up, he had slammed his clenched fists together, looking forward to such a fight. It had been far too long.

" _ **Welcoming to the battlefield, our 23rd trainer of the day, to start the 12th battle, we have Ash!"**_

His cue. Ash made his way into the view of the roused public, whom had been enthralled with battle after battle, and eager for more. Ash looked around the audience, looking for his group. He saw them after a few scans, once Pikachu had ran atop Serena's head so he was easy to notice. Ash sent over a small wave to them alone, which the entire crowd seemed to assume was for them all, because they roared even louder. Ash stood at his position, ready to start the battle.

His opponent was then called out. An early 20's man who went by the name of Logan. He seemed to be some sort of goth - biker - punk hybrid, with a skull tattoo on his right arm, a black leather jacket, and long, black hair that covered his left eye. There seemed to be some permanent damage that had been done to his eye, as there was a scar down the horizontal of his eye, which he tried to keep hidden with his hair. Physically, he seemed toned, with over refined muscles.

 ** _"The 12th match of the day, Logan VS Ash - Begin!"_**

Logan ripped a Pokeball from his jacket and tossed it into the centre of the battlefield with force, like he had just picked up a live grenade. "Electrode, Move out!" His Pokeball erupted with light, letting out its Pokeball appearing inhabitant, that rolled back a meter or two into its now half of the field.

Ash grinned. He had been given a huge advantage thanks to this Logan characters hotheadedness. He had planned to lead off with Staraptor or Torkoal, but this was a blessing in disguise. He now had the type advantage. He reached foe his Pokeball of choice. "Electric type eh? Alright then!" Ash got ready to throw his choice. "Krookidile, I choose yo-"

Ash was suddenly cut off by a beam of light escaping his person and appearing onto the battlefield. Once that light dispersed, Ash realised he had been left with arguably the worst Pokemon he had on his team for the job had just volunteered itself to fight a battle it was not up for, once again. Oshawott stood proudly on the battlefield, its own confidence apparent.

 ** _"The Pokemon have been decided, Logan has chosen Electrode, while Ash has chosen Oshawott!"_**

"I did _not_ select Oshawott!" Ash yelled at the announcer, knowing full well he would not be heard. He looked at the big screen, and he sighed. Oshawott had been declared his Pokemon of choice. He couldn't exchange his 'choice' after it had been selected. He then sighed once again. "Ah, the hell with it." He called out to his Sea Otter Pokemon, whom was waving its scallop around proudly. It nearly dropped it when it heard its trainers voice. "Hey Oshawott. Not my choice, but i guess I'm stuck with you, so lets show them how tough you are!"

Placing its scallop back onto its belly where it fixed itself, his Pokemon hit the scallop, analogous to a warrior beating his chest, and let out a smile and grunt of determination and confidence.

That was until, it saw its opponent. At that point, Ash could have sworn he heard Oshawott sigh, like it had just cursed itself for volunteering for this work. All Ash could think, with a bemused smile, was that Oshawott should wait to be called up if it didn't like its odds against the opponents it always seemed to pick.

"Electrode, Charge Beam!" Logan ordered, and his Pokemon complied, quickly charging atoms around it and building up the electricity it generated via the static it formed, and launched it at Oshawott, aiming for the weaker water type.

"Oshawott, Razor Shell!"

Oshawott reequipped its scallop and channeled the innate water manipulation it had, forming a blade around its trademark item. Raising its scallop high, once the Charge Beam was in range, Oshawott quickly dropped the bladed shell, cutting the attack perfectly in two. The scallop had defended Oshawott from the electrical attack. It was Oshawott's defence against electrical attacks that always stunned its electrical opponents. This Electrode was no exception.

"Quick Oshawott!" Ash commanded. "Aqua Jet!"

A fountain surrounded Oshawott suddenly, and forced him to the tip of a rushing geyser of water, making it resemble a bullet being fired from a rifle, where it lead the water to strike against its thrown off opponent.

"Electrode, use Discharge, now!" Logan firmly ordered. His Electrode regained its composure, and released a random bolt of lightning in every direction. Oshawott, however, had an advantage. He could control where the Aqua Jet went, and he was able to dodge and weave, avoiding hit after hit. But this was also a double edged sword, as Electroduce let loose so much electricity, Oshawott couldn't get close enough to land the hit. Oshawott avoided these hits for as long as possible, but was eventually hit directly by a charge of electricity for massive amounts of damage. Oshawott ended up crashing hard into the battlefield, skidding along the ground for additional damage.

"Oshawott!" Ash called out to his damaged Pokemon. Oshawott staggered to its feet, whereupon it could be heard laughing darkly and quietly to itself, before it puffed out its chest, indicating its willingness to continue the battle. The hit had done damage, but had not damaged Oshawott's pride.

"Rollout, Electrode!" Logan called out to his Pokemon. For a second, it sounded like a sergeant giving an order to a soldier under him command, as well as a battle call out, and for an Electrode, it was amazingly fast. It had picked up speed and was already moving out rapidly towards Oshawott, rolling at Oshawott with power. Oshawott barely managed to skim to the side, avoiding the initial attack. Electrode ended up hitting the wall, before bouncing back and targeting Oshawott again, before the process repeated itself, making it an amazingly dangerous game of dodgeball for the Sea Otter Pokemon, franticly jumping out of the way as quickly as it could. The rolling ball of devastation almost seemed to be locking onto Oshawott, as it required no time to aim, it simply just hit the wall, bounced off, and was charging at Oshawott like a ballistic missile.

"Oshawott, hold your ground and use Razor Shell!" Ash commanded.

His water type Pokemon followed its order without question or complaint, quick-drawing its scallop and bracing itself for the next impact with the moving target. sending power into its scallop, Oshawott held it like a shield, and dug its heels into the ground for support. Upon impact, Oshawott was forced back a few meters, but still held on, the determination refusing to leave the Sea Otters system. Despite Its carefree nature, when the battles came this intense, Oshawott knew when to utilise its talents.

Letting out a loud cry, Oshawott slowly began slashing back at Electrode. Holding its ground, it slowly, and shakily, began using its scallop to push back against the rolling ball of pain, keeping it at arms length. Maintaining such a position against a spinning Rollout attack required willpower are well as physical power, both of which Oshawott had.

"Do it, Oshawott!"

Oshawott, with a final roar, pushed Electrode away from it. It barely moved a centimetre backwards, but it was enough space to work. With the rolling ball away, Oshawott turned its scallop into a water enveloped weapon, and slashed right at Electrode as it came back, like a perfectly timed swing from a baseball racket, breaking its rollout, and sending it back, a good seven meters away from the jokester water type, who was catching its breath.

"Use Spark!" Logan commanded.

Electrode immediately complied, and began rolling for Oshawott.

"Hydro Pump!" Ash commanded.

Oshawott charged up its water attack for a second, before blasting the Electrode with the highest pressure of water it could manage to fire. It made impact, definitely causing damage, but the Electrode kept going, fighting the current. Oshawott kept it going for as long as it could, but it showed signs of struggling as Electrode neared.

Ash looked for a way out, thinking as he saw the water part once it hit Electrode, sending the water flying left and right. He then had an idea that he hadn't used in quite a while. "Oshawott, use Ice Beam on your Hydro Pump!"

Oshawott's Ice Beam attacked targets by launching the attack from Oshawott's mouth, which meant it could continue the Hydro Pump simultaneously. And thats what it did. With one final push, Oshawott let loose its new technique, freezing the water type attack around the electric type kamikaze charging ball. The effect had worked. Electrode had been frozen inside the geyser, unable to move, and therefore, unable to continue the match.

 ** _"And we have our victor, Ash!"_**

Ash punched the sky in celebration of his first victory in a long time. His Oshawott attempted to copy its trainer, but was so tired it could barely manage to stand up after the fight. Ash knelt down next to his Pokemon and patted it on the head lightly. "You did a great job, Oshawott." He complimented his worn out Pokemon, who looked up at him and gave a cute smile. "Good to see that you finally got the hang of Ice Beam. Im proud of you." His Oshawott smiled again at this praise. "Alright buddy, take a good rest." Ash told his friend, holding up its Pokeball and returning it in a red light.

Looking at the battlefield, he saw Logan. He had thawed out his Electrode, and was reassuring the electric type. "You did me proud, Electrode. You did your absolute best. Get some rest, thats an order." He told his Pokemon, returning it to its own Pokeball. He then looked at the Kantoean, and gave a small grin. "Good match. You're tough, kid. I won't accept losing to anyone but the winner of this whole thing though, so you'd better knock some heads together and win this thing, or I'll have to find you have another battle with you, and completely obliterate you."

Ash laughed and grinned back at his opponent. He gave a mock salute to Logan. "I'll take you on any day. Good fight. Make sure you root for me."

"Will do, kid." Logan replied, returning said mock salute.

The audience roared with cheers and applause as the two trainers exchanged their words.

* * *

 **So ends the chapter of Anticipation. I apologise of the battle scenes were... Well, crap. I feel that my strength in writing is the conversations and the set pieces, whereas battling... I always have a clear idea of what i want in my mind, but conveying that to writing is always difficult. Ive yet to write a battle in anything I've ever done in which I've been happy with the end result, but i guess ill just have to get better at it.**

 **Ao, in other news, on my Youtube channel, link in my profile description i have begun a lets play on Pokemon Ethereal Gates, a fan made game which includes over 200+ fan made uniquely animated Pokemon. If you feel like seeing just what the hell my thought process is when I play Pokemon, come join in on our grand adventure over there. Ill be working to upload as much Pokemon content as i can until the release of Sun and Moon, so if you want to join us, come on down.**

 **At any rate, I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and id like to say, the support on this series has been nothing short of amazing. So thank you all for the support, and i hope i can count on you all to keep supporting the work i do. See ya!**


	12. Surprise

Paul's eyes had widened when he saw Ash's face on the big screen. Such a revelation had been completely unexpected. It had been well over three years since he saw his old self proclaimed rival from his Sinnoh journey. The same one who knocked him out of the Kalos league, and made him wonder around Unova for a couple of years. Contemplating. In the last year, he had somewhat returned to formula, although his methods were still harsh, his treatment had eased up. He pushed his Pokemon the the limit, and when they had reached their limit, he pushed them some more. Some Pokemon collapsed during an average session with Paul, but they were stronger for it. He never referred to his Pokemon as 'pathetic' anymore. He also praised his Pokemon when they deserved it, another one of Ash's influences. An easier way of saying it was 'Tough, but fair.'

Paul simply let out a small grunt and made his way to the Pokemon centre that had been installed just for the yearly event, additionally serving as a resort for trainers on the road. Fully functioning with a medical bay, video calls, a training field, and bedding. Paul made his way to the front desk, when he hit the service bell twice, and waited calmly and patiently to be served. At such a busy time, the service was slow. Nurse Joy eventually made her way towards him, acting calmly and sophisticatedly despite having been frantically running all over the place a few moments ago. "Sorry for the wait, how can I help you?"

"I need to use one of your video phones." Paul stated simply.

"Certainly. If i can just take your name?" The nurse quickly grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper, looking up at Paul as she spoke.

"Paul."

"And the nature of this call?"

"Transference of Pokemon."

The Nurse scribbled onto the paper in neat penmanship before looking at the Sinnoh native. "Okay, thats all fine. Use terminal six please." She pointed out the terminal for Paul to use as she spoke, indicating to a green terminal with two trainers either side of it.

Paul bowed lightly. "Great. Thanks." He said in gratitude before making his way to the terminal. He punched in the dials of the terminal absent minded. He had done it so many times before, it was basically done on automatic now. He hit the call button and stepped into the view of the camera, waiting for the call to be picked up.

"Hello?" The call stuttered for a second, before focusing. "Ah, hey Paul!"

"Reggie." Paul acknowledged his older brother on screen with a nod, still as irritatingly upbeat as every. That opinion of his older brother hadn't changed. That didn't change the fact he cared about Reggie. But he did find himself wanting to tell Reggie to shut up and punch him in the stomach a lot. Instead it manifested itself as passive aggression.

"I saw you on the TV. Torerra really did a number on that Salamance, huh?" Reggie said, complimenting his brothers powerful Pokemon.

"It was a waste of time." Paul closed his eyes, and said simply. "Torterra won't get stronger beating up Pokemon that weak."

Reggie folded his arm and raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you're still taking your loses at the Battle Pyramid hard, huh?"

Paul grunted. "The advice Brandon gave me there was valid. So I'm acting on it. I don't have the Sinnoh league to worry about getting in the way this time."

"You know, you never did tell me what Brandon said to you." Reggie noted, tilting his head. "Mind filling me in?"

Paul simply nodded. "He used an analogy. He said if I could lift a weight without difficulty, then my strength never improves. If I only use those weights to train, my fitness doesn't improve."

Reggie then nodded in agreement. "Words to the wise. So he meant that you needed to get stronger by fighting stronger Pokemon than yours. And that you need to fight a variety of opponents to get better." Reggie tilted his head. "I thought you did that anyway? Unless he meant Pokemon that are tougher still..."

"Thats what I took away." Paul confirmed. "Which is why I'm calling. Torterra isn't going to improve from this tournament, so him competing would be a waste of potential. Im sending him back. I want you to send over Ninjask."

Reggie held up his Ninjask's Pokeball. "Gotcha, Paul." Paul grabbed his Toterra's Pokeball and put it in the transfer, and hit a few buttons. A few seconds later, a glow stole away his Pokeball, beginning the transfer between the two brothers.

"You'll never guess who else I saw on the TV either, Paul." Reggie said with a smirk. He was attempting to make casual conversation while the transfer completed. Paul knew who he was referring to.

"I think I do." Paul said, dismissively, shaking his head lightly.

"So you saw him too?" Reggie grinned again. "Seems like Ash has caught himself some new Pokemon since we saw him last, huh?"

"Its been over three years." Paul reminded his older brother, deadpanned. "I'd be surprised if he hadn't."

"It doesn't feel like three years." Reggie said amused, with a dumber grin on his face. "Time flies, huh?"

Paul sighed lightly. He'd heard this talk before. _Life is too short_ speeches were getting old on him. Reggie wanted him to relax, loosen up some, and stop being so serious and deadpan. "Don't give me the talk, Reggie."

Reggie smirked again. "One of these days, you'll have to bring a girl home to meet me, you know that, right?"

"I'll let you know when that happens." Paul said, with sarcasm thick in his voice. "Until then, this conversation is over." He firmly established that the small talk was over. The final transfer had been made in that moment anyway. Paul picked up his Pokeball and held it in front of the camera for Reggie to see. "Transfer completed."

Reggie reached off camera and grabbed Torterra's Pokeball, and held it up for Paul to see. "All clear on this end too, Paul. Good luck out there."

"Thanks." Paul simply stated.

"And if you run into Ash, tell him I said hi!"

"Im sure he'll appreciate it." Paul muttered with sarcasm.

"Okay Paul, take care." Reggie said, raising his hand as a goodbye motion. Paul cut the call with that, hitting the end call button. He hated that conversation with his brother. Every time they talked, Reggie had started giving him the, as he liked to call it, 'The bigger picture' talk, which Paul liked to call, 'The annoying topic changer'. It entailed Reggie trying to convince Paul to get a girlfriend and to take his battling less seriously. According to Reggie, he'd be happier for it. And that would open up the 'Bigger picture.' Paul simply wasn't interested. Reggie's idea of a bigger picture was a family. Paul didn't want that. But his brother kept pushing it. Paul didn't care. His goal was to become strong enough to beat Brandon at the Battle Pyramid. He was focused on his battling career. Getting stronger. Becoming powerful. Thats what he worked towards right now.

"Paul!"

The purple haired trainer heard that familiar voice that has sounded shrill three heats ago, and now, was one he respected. He turned about 85 degreed to his left and saw him. Ash.

"Its you." Paul acknowledged. "I saw you on the big screen."

"I had no idea you'd be here!" Ash said, a grin in his face, and he held a hand out for Paul to shake. Paul accepted it. Ash was strong, but his methods were completely different to Pauls. Though it took him a long time, almost a year and a half, Paul had developed respect for the Kantoean.

Flanking Ash, there were two girls. One of them had honey blonde hair, and the other... "I had no idea _you_ would be here." Paul said to the blue haired girl. He paused for a second. "Miette, right?"

The blue haired girl nodded. "Thats right. I didn't think you'd come to Revolution Castle."

Paul have a shrug. "Its good for training."

"You must have been doing a lot! Torterra was amazing!" Ash said, as ever, full of compliments towards his opponents Pokemon. Like that made a difference.

"Torterra just went home."

"What? Why?" The blonde girl spoke this time, looking clearly shocked at Pauls choice. "Ive never seen a Pokemon that strong! You could defeat the entire competition with it!"

"And Torterra wouldn't get any stronger." Paul deadpanned the blonde girl.

"Make sense." Miette commented. "Serena, your performances require practice over and over and over and over again with the same Pokemon. So do mine. But trainers like Ash and Paul need to make all of their Pokemon are all tough." Ash nodded in agreement.

"You get it." Paul simply said, with a nod. He then turned on his heels and started walking away, into the crowd, the way Ash and his group came in.

"Hey, where're you going?" The blonde girls voice, Serena's, pitched in again. Paul glanced back and saw both her and Ash stood close to one another. He then glanced at Miette. He suddenly understood what the issue was she was dealing with a few days ago.

"Times too short. I can't waste time talking all day." Paul replied simply.

"Rude." Serena commented with a huff.

"Pretty polite for Paul, actually." Ash muttered. "Alright, see you soon!" He called, waving lightly as Paul disappeared into the crowd. He was gone as soon as he joined them. Swallowed in the rush.

"What a jerk." Serena commented, her arms folded. She could feel her veins pulse in her forehead. "Couldn't he at least just say 'Excuse me' ?"

"Ah, you get used to it." Ash commented, amused. Paul hadn't changed too much, although he definitely had more patience and tolerance for people, particularly for those who held opposing views on his training methods. But Ash could tell he wasn't nearly as harsh anymore. Though he had to wonder, what had caused him to change like that? Whatever had happened, he seemed friendlier. Or as friendly as Paul was ever destined to get.

"He's... Not a people person, huh?" Miette wondered aloud.

"Not even close to a people person." Ash commended, folding his arms as he spoke. "Believe me when I say he seems friendlier than when I last saw him. And that strength that his Torterra had? It doesn't surprise me at all. He'll be planning to implement that power to all of his Pokemon."

"That seems... Unreasonable." Serena commented. "I mean, that kind of training must've been brutal. And a Torterra has lots of sheer strength to start with."

Ash shrugged. "He does it somehow."

Their conversation eventually devolved from Paul onto other topics as they went about their business in the Pokemon centre. All of them had their Pokemon healed after their battled, all three of them passing into the next round. Serena's had been particularly close, and she really put the victory to pure luck. Pancham had gotten a bit too cocky, so its ability to recover from that situation had been nothing short of a miracle. It sort of embarrassed Serena to even remember it. Ash made a few transfers with Professor Oaks lab in Kanto, along with a reminder to watch him on the TV in the upcoming matches.

"I won't let you say that kind of thing about Salamance!"

A loud shout echoed throughout the entire centre, filled with ferocity and anger. Everyones heads turned to the source. It was Pierre, from Paul's battle earlier on that day. And he was shaking in sheer rage, glaring at two people, one smirking smugly.

"Its not like we're saying anything wrong." One of them states, void of actual emotion, more like they were robotic, stating mere facts. Ash couldn't see that one.

A different one wore glasses, and had long, curly brown hair, as well as a darker skin tone. She also had a slender figure. She wore a silver jacket and black jeans. Her posture indicated a sense of smug arrogance, like she was happy to have ticked off Pierre. "Salamance was beaten because it was weak. Thats all. But not because Salamance is a weak Pokemon. Its because it has a terrible trainer."

Pierre twitched.

"Running around, acting like a hot shot. Filled with bravado and arrogance, like you own the whole world. But thats an act, isn't it?" Pierre flinched. The girl smirked. "Thought so. You're aware how weak you actually are. So you act cocky to hide that from others. Like you actually have a clue what you're doing. With a trainer like that, Salamance is sure to follow." The girls eyes narrowed, and her lips formed a cruel smile. "What a waste of a perfectly useful Pokemon."

Pierre snapped, and instead of yelling, he simply attempted to throw a punch. Moving quickly, and purely on instinct, Ash managed to throw his hands underneath Pierre's and pull him back. This apparent Kalos native was, in a word, furious. He looked ready to slaughter the two trainers in front of him. He was livid. He aggressively attempted to escape Ash's hold, throwing his arms left and right, attempting to wriggle free. "Get off me!"

"Calm down!" Ash yelled straight into Pierre's ear, before glaring at the two trainers who had managed to piss off the trainer in his lock. "What's this guy done to you, huh? What do you get from just angering him like that?"

The woman folded her arms and grinned. "Aside from our entertainment for the night?"

"Sierra." The male stated, stepping forward. His was the original voice. The one void of emotion. "Our role here is not to antagonise." This man had pale skin, and shaved hair. He didn't look too much older than Ash, but he had a year or two on him. He wore a similar outfit to the woman. He wasn't very expressive either. His face almost looked locked into a neutral expression. Despite this, he looked physically capable. His eyes were lifeless.

"Give it a rest, Beta." The girl, Sierra, dismissed.

The male, Beta, looked at Ash. His expression was neutral. Strongly neutral. It was very clear - he couldn't care leas about this conflict. "Your companion there approached us. He then questioned us. He requested to see our Pokemon. He wanted to battle. We attempted to politely decline. We then attempted to request him to leave. More aggressive attitudes and methods were taken."

"Yeah, aggressive means such as insulting my damn Pokemon!" Pierre spat back at Beta. Ash had to hold the Kalosian back. He seemed immensely petty, especially seeing as this was, in a way, his own fault.

Beta simply blinked. "I do not share my partners views. Those opinions belong to her. However, I hold no ill will to either side. I shall apologise for mine and my companions attitude. We request forgiveness." Beta bowed in union with the word 'forgiveness'. A much more traditional action - from Kanto. Ash was taken slightly aback by this. Beta was a Kanto native, like him.

"Youre kidding, right? I refuse to apologise to this clown." Sierra argued with ferocity.

Beta simply looked at her. This seemed to unnerve Sierra, who took a step back. Her fiery attitude seemed to be extinguished simply by a look from her companion. He seemed to calm her down. But this seemed more out of fear than it did reassurance.

Beta spoke again. "We request forgiveness." There was not a single change in his tone, pitch, or timing. Like he had gone back in time, and replayed an audio clip from a few seconds go.

Ash looked between the two. They could not be more different. To put it bluntly, the two seemed like two different kinds of complete maniacs. He was concerned, however. Beta at least seemed reasonable, but clearly there was something intimidating about him. He doubted he wanted to see him angry.

"Fine." Pierre said, his voice bitter and thick with anger. "I forgive you. Just get out of here." This surprised Ash. Pierre seemed like a proud and hotheaded sort of person. He had expected to have to fight him to keep him in place. Then again, it was possible Pierre had noticed that these two were dangerous too.

Beta bowed again. "We are grateful." He turned to Sierra and walked past her, making no hand gestured, or any eye contact. He walked past her like she didn't exist. And yet, she still turned to follow him.

The two walked away. And then silence fell. Eventually the crowds dispersed, and went back to their own business. Ash was able to finally let go of Pierre. "Well that was... Unsettling. You okay?"

"Im angry." Was Pierre's only response. He then let out a heavy sigh. "Thanks. For stopping me." He said, before walking away, opposite to the direction Beta and Sierra had gone.

Ash himself felt the adrenalin leave his system, and his hand shook, due to the rapid depletion of chemicals. He let out a loud sigh and stumbled back a couple of steps. He felt a hand on the back of his shoulder, stopping him. He glanced over and saw Serena, smiling. "Headstrong as ever."

Miette had her arms folded, still looking in the direction Beta and Sierra had gone. "That was... Unsettling, to say the least."

"Are you okay Ash?" Serena asked, her face softening.

Ash nodded. "Yeah. Im fine." He found his footing and stood upright. He didn't remove Serena's hand though.

* * *

That evening, the announcements were made, with every trainer whom had made it past their preliminary match stood right back outside in the stadium again. The teams were to be announced. The tag team matches.

The set ups were said to be completely random, like drawing names out of a hat random, only done by computers. The trainers were tense, glancing at pretty much everyone in their field of vision. Anyone there could be the trainer they had to fight next to. Some had taken notes on the trainers they'd be happy to be partners with, and ones they'd hate to be partnered with.

Ash, Serena and Miette all stood on the edges of the crowd, glancing between one another. The odds of two of them being on a team were slim. 2 trainers, and 12 teams, 6 on either side of a bracket. Combining all the combinations of trainers that could go together, those being roughly 24 combinations for 1 trainer, the odds were easily well over 1 in 400.

"No holding back once we face each other, right?" Miette asked.

"Never." Ash grinned, his arms folding as he said so. "No holding back, no hard feelings."

"Fair enough." Miette nodded. "Theres always a chance one of us will be partnered with another of us."

"I don't think I'm going to put too much money on those odds." Serena commented with a small smile.

"Fate likes messing with us." Miette commented with a larger smile. "You never know."

"You sound confident." Ash commented. He grinned again and jokingly commented, "You didn't rig the system, did you?"

Before Miette could made her sarcastic reply, the board in the stadium lit up. While there would be no commentary from the announcer, he was there, doing a live reaction to the pairings right now. That part would be added in during tomorrows broadcast before the battles would begin. The names of the pairings, plus their pictures, would appear on screen, and then transition ti the next pair, and this would go on for a while, until every group had been announced, and the two had met their tag team partner. According to Miette, it never took more than an hour. Afterwards, the two partners would usually go and get to know one another, discuss strategy, etc, before the next day.

" _ **Attention : Please pay close attention to the pairings. Attention : Please pay close attention to the pairings."**_ A loud, synthesised female voice declared. This was it.

On the screen, an animation of cards being shuffled began playing. Each card had a persons face on it. Whoever had their cards linked together, those were the pairings. Everyone watched intently. This was very easily where the competition was either won or lost.

For a brief moment, the board went black. There was a second of silence. Was this part of what was supposed to happen? After about ten seconds, it was obvious that there was something wrong. This caused quite a bit of disruption in the crowds, with trainers asking questions amongst themselves.

"Whats going on?"

"Did someone unplug a wrong freaking cable or something?"

"This sure wont look good for the broadcast."

"This is... Awkward."

After a few seconds, the screen lit up again. " **The board is now back online, we apologise. We have discovered an error in our programming."** The announcer stated via the loudspeakers. The one voice that hadn't been expected to be used today. " **We have rectified this error. Pairings are in screen now. Please pay close attention. Anyone without a pairing tomorrow will be automatically disqualified."**

The first few pairings went by. Them and the trainers names, along with their faces, showed up on the screen. April and Justin. Weiss and Lucy. Flora and Qal'zan.

Miette and Paul.

The groups eyes widened when they saw this one. Miette's especially. "Wait, what?" Was her only response.

"You and Paul?" Ash repeated the words on screen, almost with a grin. "Well thats gonna be interesting, thats for sure."

"I agree."

The group heard Pauls voice behind them. He had his hands stuffed into his pockets, and looked sort of annoyed. He then looked at Miette who nearly flinched. His expression softened however, becoming just _nearly_ friendly. He extended a hand to her. "Looks like the universe is determined for us to get to know each other better. Looking forward to it."

Miette relaxed. Something about his gesture made her smile. She extended her own hand, and accepted his handshake. "As am I."

"Try not to terrify her too much, Paul." Ash commented with a grin. He had his arms folded, trying to look professional, but he simply wasn't gonna pull that look off. He was amused, and very interested to see how Miette and Paul would interact.

Paul looked at Ash, and then at the board. "You might want to turn around."

Ash raised an eyebrow, but quickly realised that his name was on the boars. He turned 180 degrees in less than a second. He then checked his name and partner. His eyes nearly shot out of his skull.

Ash and Serena.

The group in silence for a few seconds. "Laws of probability be damned." Paul muttered.

Miette stood there and blushed. "I swear to God, I did not rig this."

* * *

 **Well then guys, so end this chapter of Loyalty, named Surprise! This might have been predictable, and one of you guys did message me with a very accurate prediction. But i think i might still have a few tricks up my sleeves that you guys don't know about. I Plan each chapter roughly five weeks in advance, and write each chapter in the week its due. For example, i had this chapter planned five weeks ago, and i finished writing this about two or three hours before i uploaded it. This gives me a lot of time to come up with plans, plot lines, and the entire story has been briefly planned out. I do have a lot of plans for this one, and its likely the one that I am the most ambitious about. I care about this story doing well.**

 **So it means a lot to me that we've hit over 100 followers and nearly 100 favourites. Its nowhere near a fraction of One Day Off's success, but it means the world to me that you love this story so much, so thank you.**

 **Also, in others news, i am trying my damned hardest to try and get you guys the occasional extra chapter out in a week. So, be on the lookout in case i manage it.**

 **Thanks for the read, and i hope you enjoyed. Lets hear what you all think about this chapter. I love hearing your reviews. They always make me smile. Follow and favourite for more, and i shall deliver. See you guys!**


	13. Uncertainty

Ash had the biggest grin on his face. Paul had changed, of that there was no doubt. He was much calmer than he used to be, and his treatment of his Pokemon was a hundred times better. At the same time, he was obviously still as skilled at battling as he was the last time he had seen Ash. He had a natural talent for battling, one Ash didn't have. Where Ash had had to practice, train, and fight for months and years, Paul seemed to manage it so much easier, so much smoother. It seemed like it came to Paul naturally. Reggie had once mentioned that Paul had always been a naturally skilled battler, and Paul often seemed to have a calm confidence that went along with it, which bordered on arrogance. But that much had changed. Paul was confident, but he had been humbled in the years past. He wasn't the same person he was in Sinnoh.

But that didn't mean their rivalry had dimmed even slightly.

In fact, quite the opposite was true. Their rivalry seemed to have reached a new height of ferocity. It seemed that when they heard about the others accomplishments, their Pokemon, their training methods, and their goals, it helped spark another fire in their rivalry. Although, this was different. Ash was reminded of other intense rivalries he had had previously. People like Stephan, and Trip. These rivalries were intense, but they had all had respect between the two trainers involved. Some had been friendly, others had been savage. Paul's really had been his most heated rivalry, and the mutual respect they held for one another now had strengthened it. They wanted to prove their strength to the other, over the other. Fierce glares were exchanged between the two.

Their rivalry burned even stronger than before.

* * *

Serena simply shook her head in disbelief, smiling, amused. She was sat, opposing Ash at two opposite sides of the flat surface, circular table for two they sat as. She grinned at Ash, smiling smiling, amused at all of this.

"What?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow, concerned.

"Where to start..." Serena smiled. "Mostly... Well, mostly I'm just amazed. The odds of us being partners..."

"Its pretty damn amazing, huh?" Ash nodded, agreeing with his tag team partner. Pikachu cooed in its own agreement, poking up from the bottle of ketchup it was currently enjoying.

"Second, theres Pikachu." Serena smiled at the electric mouse Pokemon, patting its head lightly. She found its newly displayed, at least in front of her, fondness for ketchup to be absolutely adorable. "And finally, theres Miette and Paul."

Ash's eyebrows raised slightly, tilting his head lightly. "What about them?"

Serena struggled to stifle her own laughter. She found the entire thing amazingly ironic. She could see the two of them behind Ash. And she knew for a fact Miette was acting in a matter similar to how she acted around Ash. She had to admit it, it surprised her. She had never taken Miette for the romantic type, at least not for herself. Trying to set other people up in some sort of game she liked to play, maybe, but for herself? This was a first.

"It'll be fun being able to tease her for a change." Serena commented to herself.

Ash was now completely confused. "What _are_ you talking about?"

Serena smiled at her own crush. "I think Miette might have a crush on your old friend."

Ash turned around to observe the two sitting a bit away from them. Like Paul had said, he was getting to know Miette. He seemed to be nodding as Miette spoke to him about who knew what, but he was certain it wasn't strategy. Miette didn't stop smiling no matter how much she spoke. When Paul spoke, for however briefly that was, she listened intently. She actually looked interested in what he had to say.

"A crush on Paul?" Ash repeated to himself, louder than he had expected it to be. He was surprised, but Miette did seem to be interested in Paul. He wondered if that would last. "Well thats... Surprising."

"Paul not a romantic type?"

"I... Have no idea." Ash stated bluntly, his eyes widened slightly when he realised he knew little about Paul on a basic conversational level. Outside of battling, what did they know about each other? He decided to answer Serena before he looked weird. "We never really got onto that topic. Hell, we never ever got past the topic of 'Im going to beat you down'. We were too busy being at each others throats."

Serena's eyes seemed to blunt for a second. "I thought you two got along?"

"We... Get along okay now." Ash stated. "Publicly anyway. I doubt we're 'friends'." Ash states, bringing up two fingers on each of his hands and making quotation marks with them along with the word 'friends'. "Our philosophies are way too different for us to be close like that. I mean, we aren't enemies... Anymore. We really hated each other when we first met, kinda like you and Miette. Only we were hostile towards each other for a lot longer. Months. Close to a year. But we respect one another now. Well, I respect him, anyway. He's tough, but he seems to be... How do I say... Lighter natured now. So, asking him about romance?" Ash shrugged. "Definitely off the table for me."

Serena simply nodded. She had assumed Ash and Paul were friendly rivals, but their relationship was much more bitter than she had believed. She reminded herself not to pre - judge, or make assumptions. "I see..."

Ash's glare turned fierce, and he grinned to himself. "I'm still gonna beat him. Ill show him just how much stronger I am!"

Serena smiled. "Remember, this is supposed to be a tag team battle."

"Yeah, speaking about partners." Ash said, bringing his hands together, and looking at Serena, half serious, half joking. "You said that it'll be nice to tease Miette for a change? That mean she teases you about someone?"

Serenas blood suddenly ran freezing cold. Her eyes widened and her breath came to a halt. For a brief second, she thought Ash had missed that, that he was still as dense as he was a few years ago. No such luck.

"There is?" Ash asked, with a raised eyebrow, and a smile. Before Serena could make any protests, he help up his hand. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna pry. Thats your business."

Serena become incredibly embarrassed all of a sudden, blushing a dark red colour, and struggling to speak. He had figured that out so quickly? What was worse, _he_ was the person she was teased about. Right there, right now. But then, her eyes widened. Suddenly, a thought hit Serena.

This was her chance.

She didnt think she could ask for much of a better scenario to tell him, or at the very least, drop him a clear hint or indication of her feelings towards him. The situation had been set up completely by him, so it wouldn't seem weird or awkward if she brought it up out of nowhere ten minutes from now. And it was a direct question. No guessing, no risk of the topic relation being wrong. It wouldn't make her seem stupid or insane if it turned out he was talking about a place or a piece of artwork or something equally ridiculous. She knew that idea of hers was just paranoia, but paranoia was still a block no matter how ridiculous or self imposed it was.

In addition, it was _him_ asking. The person she liked. Her crush, directly in front of her, asking her the question.

Could there be a better scenario?

At least to get an idea how he felt. She could drop an obvious hint here, and that would spark a reaction. That reaction could tell her what he felt. It didn't even have to be a hugely flirtatious hint. It could her just answering 'perhaps', while looking at him. Thats all it had to be. Even a _wink_ would suffice. Just _something_. A step is a step, no matter how small.

Serena found herself gathering all the courage she had. This was her chance. Her big chance. She steeled her nerves, and calmed her breathing, Gathering every single scrap of strength she had, she went through with it.

"...No, not particularly. Miette just likes... Making me embarrassed." Serena said finally. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't do it..."...What about you?"

"Maybe." Ash answered simply. He had a smile on his face though, indicating he did, in fact.

' _Great...'_ Serena thought to herself. She had to fight every single cell in her body to not burst into tears right there and then.

She had missed her chance.

He liked someone else.

"Well, I dunno." Ash said. Serena's shattering heart suddenly repaired itself, metaphorically using hope as glue.

"You don't know?"

"Its complicated." Ash said with a sigh. "I dunno. I'm hardly an emotional guy, am I? I'm not sure what to feel. What I feel. I don't know." Ash bit his lower lip. "When I get a while to myself, I always wind up thinking of someone in particular. I cant get her out of my head." He then looked at Serena. She wasn't sure where he for the idea that he wasn't emotional from. She was seeing plenty of emotion right now. "But lately its become more... Warming, welcoming, if that makes sense? This first happened years ago, and it got warmer over time. Like... I really don't know" Ash finished, with, surprisingly, a chuckle.

Serena nodded. "Um... Can I ask... Who is it?" She then held up her hands in defence. "Im not trying to pry. I just... I might be able to help..."

Ash sighed and said nothing for a few seconds, internally debating weather or not he should. He had one hand as a fist, and his other was holding that fist in its palm, and was drumming its fingers along the fist.

"Ash!" Both of them heard Mitte call Ash over. "Can you come confirm this?" She had humour in her voice. Apparently Paul was telling her a story or something like that.

"Uh, you should go." Serena said, quickly. "We can talk later." She couldn't look him in the eye, though.

"Yeah." Ash nodded in agreement, standing up and walking over.

Both of them had the exact same thought process. Their own thoughts spat at them.

' _I'm a coward.'_

* * *

"You're kidding."

"Nope."

Ash had told Miette everything. After they had retired to their rooms, Ash and Miette had found each other still awake. Her, Ash and Serena all shared a large living quarters, because it was cheaper to set up mattresses than to get whole other rooms. Additionally, the quarters they were sharing were larger, with different rooms for eaxh person, and a distinctly separate room for a kitchen and living space. Miette was going over combinations she could use in the next battle, and Ash had woken up simply to get a drink. The two of them conversed, resulting in a talk about their talks with their partners.

Miette hit her forehead with the side of her fist. "Of all the stupid... Im so sorry, Ash. If I'd known, I'd've kept my mouth shut." Miette swore, hitting her forehead again and again.

"Its okay, relax." Ash told her, stopping her from hitting her forehead. She hadn't been doing it too hard, but still, Ash felt like he should stop her all the same. "I... Don't think I could've anyway..."

Miette stopped herself and looked at Ash. "Why not?"

"I told her I didn't know what to feel. A complete lie. I just... Didnt have the nerve, thats all that was." Ash sighed. "I was afraid."

"You? Afraid?" Miette asked, half amused, half amazed.

"Im only human, Miette." Ash sighed.

"I had you down as some sort of God." Miette sarcastically replied, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. Miette huffed. "You know... I... Don't know what to say. I always thought that when the time came, you'd have no problem."

"You don't remember out tent talk?" Ash asked the blue haired performer, a slightly hoarse tone to his voice.

"I kind of thought it was nerves..." Miette blinked, and shook her head. She then looked at the raven haired boy. "You're serious, aren't you."

"Huh?"

"About Serena. About being afraid to tell her. This isn't nerves. You're serious. You're actually scared to tell her."

It was something Ash was ashamed to admit. But he nodded. He was honestly scared of telling Serena what he felt towards her.

Miette sat back and sighed. "I... Wow. The fearless Kantoean, afraid of a blonde Kalosian girls feelings to him."

"She's told you how long we've known each other, right?" Ash asked.

"Yeah. A camp, right? Years ago. Nearly, what, ten years?" Miette counted the years on her fingers.

"Yeah, roughly ten years." Ash nodded, confirming Miettes guess.

"Falling in love with someone you've known for ten years..." Miette nodded. This just got more and more complicated. "I can see how... How this would conflict you." Paul had been right. The more you knew the situation, the more you needed to know. She could only curse. "God damn it..."

Ash smiled weakly. "Hey, listen, you don't need to worry about us. Its our problem. Well, my problem. You don't need to lose sleep over it."

Miette nodded at Ash. "You're right, I don't. But I want to. I want to help." She then glanced at the table, which had a clock on it. 22:35. There would still be a self service checkout available. "I think I'm gonna get some food from the place downstairs. You want anything?"

"For the first time in my life, no thanks, I'm not hungry. Im gonna try and get back to sleep. I've got to be at the top of my game tomorrow. Don't want to disappoint Serena." Ash replied, standing up and yawning.

"Okay. Good night." Miette said, smiling.

"Hey." Ash said. "Thanks for talking with ms. It helps."

"Anytime."

"Night."

"Night."

Ash retired to his bunk, and Miette escaped the room and into the brightly lit corridor. She understood Ash's reluctance, his fears, much clearer now. She began walking down the corridor.

Ten years. An entire decade Ash and Serena had known each other. That was a long time. Most of their lives. No, they hadn't been in contact that entire time, but they were still friends throughout it. And Serena had loved him throughout those ten years. Miette couldn't even begin to imagine what that was like. That was loyalty in it's absolute purest incarnation. There was simply no denying that.

Turning a corner, Miette passed two trainers, discussing their strategic plan for tomorrow. She paid them no heed. Despite being in two regions across the sea, miles apart, they still cared for each other. It was honestly, beautiful, Miette thought. It was beautiful. But they wouldn't make it into what it could be, because they were scared of the others reply.

She made her way down the stairs, skipping a step or two with each drop. She couldn't understand it. The two were close, so close. Closer than people she had seen who were actually dating. How they could even feel doubt was beyond her understanding. She reached the bottom of the stairs.

Should she just tell one of them, push them to confess? It seemed preferable to letting the two drift away with heartache for the rest of their lives. She hated being conflicted about things like this. She felt like she had to do something. Like it was her duty as their friend. She bit her lip again. The taste of iron seeping through.

She stepped into the cafeteria. There were a few people still eating, some grabbing late night snacks. A few talking strategy. Miette grabbed a cup of instant noodles, filled it with hot water, and stepped outside to eat. She liked the cool night wind. It helped her cool off. After all her planning, her talks, and the heat of her food, it was exactly what she needed to relax. She let out a sigh of content and carried on eating her food.

"Weavile, Blizzard!"

Miette heard a familiar voice issuing battle commands. Pauls voice. This late at night? She quickly finished her food, and threw the containing cup in the garbage, and made her way over to the voice. She followed it to one of the battlefields. The others were empty, the trainers who would have occupied them most likely retired to their bunks. Paul was running drills with his Pokemon. His Weavile was fighting against his Ninjask. The task seemed to be for Ninjask to...

This shook Miette a bit. He didn't let Ninjask use its vastly superior speed to avoid the Blizzard, Ninjask instead was enduring the hit, with clear difficulty. Miette watched for a few seconds, momentarily furious, before thinking about it, and realising that technically, it made sense. Ninjask were weak physically. Enduring hits would condition it to be able to withstand those hits. It was a brutal method of training, but one Ninjask would have to endure to be able to become stronger for it.

This particular Blizzard seemed more like a combination of Blizzard and Ice Shard, with the large chunks of ice being thrown at Ninjask. It was a testament of Weavile's strength at least. Ninjask was buffeted by these several times, but it forced itself to keep going, to endure the hits. It took several hits, before one final strike sent it flying across the battlefield.

"I guess thats your limit." Paul said to his Ninjask in a neutral tone of voice. "Its an improvement." He said, nodding at his bug type, before returning it to its Pokeball. A red light emitted from the capsule contraption, recalling the speedy bug type. "Weavile, do you still have the energy to keep using Blizzard like that?"

He knew perfectly well that Weavile was running on willpower and nothing else. And it was clear he knew Weavile wouldn't give up while there was still training time. His Ice type let out a sigh of exhaustion, and then brandished its claws again, ready to let loose again.

"Good." Paul simply stated. "Hold nothing back on this one. Use all your strength."

Before Paul could release his next Pokemon for its brutal conditioning training, Miette decided to make her presence known. She was drawn by need, not by want. She approached the battlefield by simply walking towards it. It was Paul's Weavile that noticed the performer approaching them first. Noticing his Pokemon's reaction, Paul turned his head.

"I seem to run into you a lot." Miette greeted the trainer with a smile.

"Looks that way." Paul replied calmly. His expression hadn't changed a bit, static and calm. Pail was a stoic character, for certain, Miette had discovered, only rarely showing emotions of pleasure, or of rage.

She would have made small talk. She would have asked him what he was doing. But nit this time.

The blue haired performer sighed. "I... Need your help."

* * *

 **And so ends this Chapter of Loyalty, Uncertainty**.

 **For everyone who is saying, yes, I know, Paul X Miette is a crackship. A particularly popular crackship in the Tumblr fandom I'm entangled with, but nonetheless, a crackship. But come on, lets be honest, how many Ash X Serena V Miette stories are gonna be out there at this point? I find Miette a very interesting and often hilarious character, so I'm not gonna depict her negatively just because its easy to do. Thats the entire point of this site, isn't it, to slightly twist certain characters personalities or have certain events occur, and tell a story the author finds interesting. Thats how i came up with One Day Off. You don't have to like it, its your opinion - besides, this story is heavily Amour focused. Miette x Paul is just a background thing. Never fear, I've not forgotten that ^_^**

 **Loyalty still has a long way to go, so don't worry about that guys.**

 **Also... Another note... Do these ending authors notes annoy you guys? Not a lot of writers do them, so, do you guys like them, hate them, should i move them to the start, or leave them out entirely? Its up to you guys.**

 **Also, I** ** _have_** **had an idea for another Amourshipping story that would focus heavily on Xenophobia, or a fear of foreign people. Seeing as i have a large multi national following, I wanna ask, that sound interesting to you guys?**

 **At any rate, i hope you're enjoying Loyalty as much as I'm enjoying coming up with stuff for it. Let me know what you think guys, i love hearing your feedback. As always, see you next time. See ya!**


	14. Brutality

Due to tech problems, there was no update last week. Sorry for that. So heres a nice extra long chapter for you, with my plans for the next three chapters merged into one super chapter for you all ^_^

* * *

How are you not nervous?"

Serena found herself worried, concerned about the upcoming tag team battles. Not for herself. For Ash. Battling was not her forte, she knew that about herself. It had been two years, and while she had improved in all areas of Pokemon training, her battling was nowhere near the skill of Ash's. She doubted that her skills would ever be that good. That in itself didn't bother her. What did upset her was that her partner was Ash, and her skills could... No, would hinder him. She had utmost confidence in his abilities, but not her own.

She had no doubt that Ash could take on the entire tag team tournament by himself. He had the training, the skill, and the knowledge to do so. There was no doubt in her mind that he could conquer this entire competition himself if he wanted to.

And he had just gotten Serena as his battle partner.

She felt bad, like she was holding him back, hindering him. It didn't seem fair. He was someone who cared about battling. It was his passion, and yet he àwwas forced the partner up with someone who was only in this entire festival so she wouldn't go insane from boredom. Her bringing him here was supposed to have been a surprise for him. Now she felt like she had ruined it. His current casual attitude and demeanour completely bewildered her.

Looking at her, Ash shrugged. "Why would I be? It seems sort of dumb to enter something like this if you don't have the confidence you can win it."

Serena knew those words weren't aimed at her, but all the same, it felt like they slashed at her heart. He made logical sense. Entering a tournament like this without the confidence to succeed did seem like a flawed, and failing premise. A lack of confidence could lead her to make a failing move that could cost her the march, but that wasn't the important thing here. She didn't want Ash to lose, and more over, not because of her own battling ineptitude.

"Besides, I've got you as my partner, why would I be concerned?" Ash added after a brief pause, with a smile on his face. He smiled warmly, and spoke with genuine lightness. He brown eyes were focused on the blonde Kalosian.

Serena looked at him, completely dumbfounded. "I - I'm not a battler! I'm a performer!"

Ash grinned at her. "I seem to recall you did a pretty good battle that time I was delirious a couple years back."

"You know for a fact that was just luck." Serena sighed. She also lightly blushed in embarrassment. She remembered that day rather well.

Ash sighed as well. "Okay Serena, whats wrong? A lack of confidence... It doesn't suit you." She felt her heart increase for a second when he sympathetically put his hand on Serena's shoulder. He knew her too well.

Serena looked at him, sadly. "I feel bad..." She explained her thinking to him. Her concerns. What she felt about this whole battling situation, how she didn't want to burden him. All her concerns spilled out to him. He didn't interrupt the girl as she spoke, simply allowing her to vent her repressed emotions to him without pause or resentment. He didn't break eye contact with her for a second during it. Only to blink.

Once she finished, Ash smiled at her. For a moment, Serena thought he was going to start laughing at her, but he wasn't so callous. "Serena, I don't... Where did you get the idea you were a poor battler?" He asked her, having to clearly keep himself from letting out a huge grin. His smile seemed to go towards one side, puffing his right cheek out, showing his teeth lightly. "Serena, you don't have to be a competitive battler to be a decent battler. You know how to battle enough to make me confident with you as my partner."

"But why?" Serena asked, quietly. "Why are you confident with me as your partner?"

Ash smiled again, this time, more invitingly. "Serena, your not focused on battling. That's true. I won't deny that. Your speciality is focused on the show, the extravagance, but that doesn't mean you cant use those very techniques into battle. You can use your combinations to confuse opponents. I knew people who did that all the time in Sinnoh and Hoenn..." For a second, as closed his eyes, and bit his lower lip, his front white teeth showing. "Look, i guess what I'm saying is, you don't need to worry about this so much. If we lose, its not a big deal. Im here for fun, and to see sights. This was your idea, so you should have some fun too. Besides..." Ash smiled. "This would all be a lot less fun without you here."

Serena blushed lightly, but she refocused her energy towards being more focused and prepared. He was right, and his reassurance made her feel much better about herself. The confidence that he installed into her made her heart warm and fuzzy, a feeling she didn't think she could ever be tired of, or allow to rust away. It was the feeling of being truly, truly content, and appreciative of his support. "...Thank you Ash. You're right, we can do this."

The raven haired Kantoean smiled happily at his Kalosian friend. "Hey, theres the Serena I know." Ash had meant every word he had said to her, not a single word he had spoken had been a lie, a stretch of the truth, or acting on the suspension of disbelief. He truly had confidence in her. She doubted herself, perhaps, but he never doubted her for a second. He turned around and grabbed his cap, and placed it atop his head. He was ready. "Okay then Serena. Lets show these opponents of ours how we fight."

* * *

The crowds were as giddy and excitable as they had been last time, cheering and shouting, before Ash and Serena's names had even been declared. Their mere appearance had apparently been enough to send the crowd into a ravenous frenzy of cheers and cries of encouragement. Some of the audience had even gone as far as to create signs and banners, depicting their favourite trainers from the preliminary rounds. It was like a competition between every individual in the audience, fighting with every other person for the loudest cry. There were at least 2000 members in the stands, and possibly more. It was like a between stage of a gym match and a regional league. It was a battlefield stage however, and everyone there was here to see some battling action, just like he was. This raw energy that was coming from every person in. The stadium practically fuelled him, and he loved it.

He walked towards the trainer box he was assigned, with Serena to his right. While he was still concerned for her confidence issues, he knew she was going to do her very best, and he couldn't even consider asking her for more than that. All things considered, he really was thankful that she was his partner for this tournament. It felt like fate. Ash didn't like to think fate existed, that people made their own fates every day of their lives, but if there was one example of fate that he could point to, it was that despite the 400+ odds, she was his partner. Of all people, her. If fate was going to do this to him every time... He looked at Serena, and couldn't help but smile. _'Perhaps I could get used to the idea of fate.'_

They reached their side of the battlefield. Serena looked at Ash, and Ash looked at Serena. Serena had a neutral look on her face. Ash nodded at her, his face covered by burrowed eyebrows, focused eyes, and a confident grin. Serena nodded, her face mimicking the same. They were a team.

The announcer called for their opponents, and from the opposite challenger room, out came their opponents, accompanied by an equal greeting of encouragement and energy. Looking at the two of them, Ash saw two very different people.

The first one was a tall, dark skinned male who went by the name of Nils. This guy wore nearly all grey clothing, and a black undershirt. A grey hoodie, which he left unzipped, and grey jeans. He also wore read boots, that looked dulled and damaged, presumably from a long time of traveling, or alternatively, a short time of rapid traveling. Nils also had long hair, but he used gel to make the fringe of his hair at the front go upright. This hair was brown, only a few shades darker than his skin. He appeared to have clear, hazel eyes, which wore a look of nervousness. He didn't seem to have his confidence in total. He looked far more physically imposing, but it was clear he lacked the confidence or the real experience to fully know and understand his own limitations.

His partner however, lacked such traits. This was a shorter girl whom called herself Amaya. This girl could not be more different physically from her partner, to start with. She had long, blonde hair that ran to her shoulders, and had a paler skin colour. She had a slim figure, but she was short with it. She wore what looked to be a martial arts gear, red in colour, and a blue belt around her waist. The contrast hurt Ash's eyes. She kept her long hair in a ponytail. Additionally, she seemed ready to burst with energy and enthusiasm, as she kept punching her fist into an open hand, showing how ready and willing she was to fight. She had bright blue eyes, and a grin of anticipation. Not of confidence, anticipation. It was clear by her posture - She liked both a fight, and a challenge.

Once they had reached their end of the battlefield, the crowds finally died down, as the announcer made the rules clear to everyone. **"This is to be a double battle, with two Pokemon per side, that is, one Pokemon per person. Trainers may decide to command both their own and their partners Pokemon if they so chose. The victor will be decided when one side has no Pokemon that are able to continue!"** Ash raised an eyebrow at that one particular rule. He was allowed to command Serena's Pokemon if he wanted to? He looked towards her, and shook his head. He mouthed the words 'Last resort' to her, and she nodded in agreement. She could handle herself. He was certain of it. **"If there are no objections..."** A brief pause in the speech. No objections were made. **"Then as is traditional, battle begin!"**

Amaya was the first one to call out their Pokemon. She nimbly grabbed her Pokeball, and tossed it into the sky as high as her back-hand underarm throw would allow. "Hariyama, lets fight!" The anxious fighter declared in synch with her Pokemon being released from its capsule home. The bulky fighting type Hariyama appeared, making a stance of aggression. Its toned legs dug into the battlefield, standing strong, ready to begin battling.

Nils went next. He had a firm grip on his Pokeball, and he gently threw his Pokeball onto the battlefield, lacking the same enthusiasm as Amaya had. Regardless, he called out his Pokemon anyway. "Magmortar, I need you!" From inside the Pokeball, the light erupted, releasing a huge and imposing Magmrotar, practically a walking magma lake, onto the battlefield. While Magmortar were normally large, this one in particular seemed to be an exception, and was taller than other of its kind.

Ash grinned to himself and tossed his Pokeball into the air, catching it as it fell down, and then throwing the capsule into the battle. "Gliscor, I choose you!" He declared just before the capsule released his Flying Ground type into the air. Flying out with a battle cry, Ash's Gliscor then landed on its tail, bouncing atop it as the energy landed throughout its tail. The vampiric bat Pokemon brandished its claws, an intimidation tactic it had developed.

Serena however, quickly glanced at her opponents Pokemon, and then at Ash's impressive choice. She had to quickly go over in her head which Pokemon she had would be best choice to both combat her opponents, and support Ash. Braixen wouldn't be much use on account of the opposing Magmortor, which no doubt would be able to out flame Braixen, no matter how pretty Braixen's flames looked. Pancham was out of the question as well. Not only because of the opposing Hariyama, but Serena just knew that Pancham's tendency to show off would just cause trouble. She had experienced that little humiliating during her preliminaries, and she wasn't in a rush to encounter a similar situation. That left Sylveon, whom would have a neutral stance against Magmortor and Hariyama... But it was not a good Pokemon to back up Ash's Gliscor. Ideally a Pokemon that could generate wind, or was at least powerful enough to weaken the opposing forces for aerial attacks. Sylveon lacked both, plus, battling was certainly not her forte. Confidence in performances, thats one thing, but in battling? Slyveon was shy by default. A lack of confidence at that point was certain to leave Ash carrying the team by himself, something that, as established, Serena didn't want. By the time she had reached this conclusion, the battle was waiting on her.

"Pika."

Serena glanced down at her feat. It was Ash's Pikachu, stood at her heel like he normally did at Ash's, when waiting to see if it would be his turn to battle. It had followed her, and not Ash?... Seeing Pikachu stood there, like an obedient Pokemon... Serena glanced at Ash, who nodded at her with a knowing grin in his face. Permission. Was this his idea, or was it Pikachu's? Regardless, it made perfect sense. Pikachu was an ideal choice for this battle, and one Serena has, albeit limited, battling experience with this Pokemon. Pikachu had plenty of experience, and strength to boot, and didn't seem to mind following Serena's commands too much. And technically speaking, there were no restrictions as to trainers using each others Pokemon as their selection choice... She smiled at the electric mouse Pokemon, whom smiled back at her. _'Pikachu, thank you so much.'_

"You're sure this is okay, Pikachu?" Serena decided it was wise to double check with her friends Pokemon.

Pikachu nodded. "Pika!"

Serena couldn't help but smile even wider at the small Pokemon at her heel. "Okay then, lets do our best!"

Pikachu let out its cry of agreement, and made his way into the battlefield, under Serena's command. The small mouse Pokemon, like his trainer, had utmost confidence in her ability. He had no issues taking orders from her.

For a few tense seconds, nobody made a move, sketching out their opponents out, looking for weaknesses in their defences. Unsurprisingly, Nils made the first move. "Flamethrower!"

His Pokemon raised its arm, revealing an open hole where its hand would be, and showed inside that its arm, was actually, rather hollow. Next however, a spraying salvo of fire erupted from this hollow arm, aimed directly for Ash's Gliscor. The Ground Flying type used its tail like a spring, and gained massive altitude, dodging the fire type attack, despite the enemy Pokemon raising its flame to chase Gliscor. However, the gliding purple Pokemon had leapt out of range.

"Gliscor, use Stone Edge!" Ash commanded.

Once the order was received, Gliscor began to focus, and rocks from the ground suddenly shot up towards Gliscor, and began orbiting around the Pokemon. The two lines of orbiting rocks overlapped, and began gaining speed rapidly, before being launched towards Magmortar, reaching terminal velocity, slamming into the Fire type with speed and force. Magmortar attempted to defend itself by covering its face with an arm, but this did little to defend it from damage. The impact injured Magmortar. Nils had snapped under the tense atmosphere, and it had cost him the first move.

"Hariyama, use Force Palm on Pikachu!" Amaya made her move against Serena, and her bulking Fighting type also moved along with its commands. The earth seemed to quake underneath the behemoths feet.

"Pikachu, evade it!" Serena told the mouse Pokemon. Pikachu was already on that, however, and was about to use its speed to its advantage. Once the enemy Force Palm came towards him, Pikachu skimmed to the side, and leapt atop the Hariyama's arm, and scurried up to the Fighting types head, using its head as a leaping point on which it climbed high into the air. "Use Iron Tail!" Serena quickly ordered, and Pikachu obeyed. Upon falling back down, Pikachu entered a spin, and slammed its hardened tail into Hariyama's head, hitting the bulking behemoth for large damage. The battle seemed to be going in Ash and Serena's favour, as they had managed to get in two hits to their opponents none.

"Arm Thrust!" Amaya commanded. Hariyama suddenly went into a flurry of attacks, swatting at the small yellow mouse Pokemon. Pikachu used his speed to dodge as many as he could, but eventually, he was slammed by a very powerful Arm Thrust, sending him into the air, only to come crashing down once again. The attack had been hit with ferocity, causing Pikachu to let out a cry upon impact with the strike, and then the ground. While it was hard hitting, it was nothing Pikachu hadn't shaken off before. As such, he was back onto his feet in no time.

"Are you going to make a move?" Amaya asked her partner with edge to her voice. She was pressuring him to make a move.

Nils swallowed hard and called out an attack. "Uh - Focus Blast!" His Magmortar followed this order without question, unshielding its face and launching up a concentration of raw energy towards Pikachu. The yellow mouse Pokemon had only just gotten on its feet when it saw this attack coming, and was back into the air from the blast before it even registered the hit. The blast hurt Pikachu, but resilience was a trait he had adopted. He turned in the air, and began to allow himself to fall, to reach his highest speed before hitting the floor.

Ash gritted his teeth, and called his next target. "Gliscor, use X-Scissor on Magmortar, and cover Pikachu!" With this command, Gliscor allowed itself to fall downwind, picking up speed and rapidly approaching the lumbering Fire type. Gliscor's claws glowed as it powered up the attack, and it let out a loud cry, and them slammed the claws into the side of magma Pokemon. The attack hit with power and speed, but due to its typing, it did little more than injure as opposed to wound the behemoth. The strike knocked Magmortar off balance however, sendings its next Focus Blast high into the sky. It narrowly skimmed hitting Pikachu, but the quick thinking Electric type managed to spin and doge the blast at the very last second.

"Gliscor, standby for a pick up!" Ash called out to his Pokemon, whom was already gliding on the outskirts of the battlefield, circling the combat.

"Pikachu, do it now!" Serena yelled to Pikachu. "Electro Ball!"

This command was ordered about halfway through its power up process. Pikachu had this technique mastered, and this plan as guaranteed to eradicate the opponent from the contest. Charging the electricity into a spherical shape at the tip of its tail, Pikachu allowed itself to spin before launching the pure electrical energy at the lumbering Hariyama, whom looked at the attack in surprise, and resignation. Once the attack hit, a huge electrical surge shot through the Fighting type, bringing it to its knees, and then, flat on its face, knocking it out of the match completely.

"Hariyama!" Amaya called out to her Fighting type Pokemon, to no avail at all. Her Pokemon had been completely knocked out by the fierce power of the Electro Ball. She raised her Pokeball and gritted her teeth.

Pikachu had been picked up by Gliscor before it his the ground, allowing it to land on the Flying types back. The Electric type Pokemon stood on to of the gliders back, like a person when they surfed, riding the waves. Both Pokemon were closing in on the next target, and Pikachu's cheeks were already sparking and crackling with static charge, already powering up its next electrical attack a grin of confidence on the small Pokemon's face showed.

Nils began to order his next command, but he now seemed more confident, more used to the situation. Calmer. More collected. "Use Rock To -"

"Use Flamethrower and keep on their trail!" Amaya practically yelled at the fire type, shouting out Nils's command. She had stolen control of Nils' Pokemon!

The Magmotar let loose a beam of fire, powered by fury and re-found determination to get at least one scorching hit into the team of two flying around it. The fire shot at the two with speed. Gliscor pulled up immediately and skimmed the blast, immediately pulling into a U-Turn, and retreating 360 degrees in the opposite direction to avoid the blast, which as it turned out, simply wasn't enough. The blaze raced towards the two.

"Pikachu, counter it with Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled his command on impulse to clear the threat to both his Pokemon, forgetting for just a second that Serena was supposed to be in command of Pikachu.

Regardless of that, Pikachu complied, and let loose a high voltage Thunderbolt attack. This didn't harm Gliscor, due to it's part Ground type attributions, allowing for Pikachu to allow currents to flow into its mobile platform without concern for his ride, allowing him to aim perfectly. Directing the strike, the electric and fire attacks collided at force, causing an explosion once the two met, pushing back everyone in either side. Gliscor ended up flying straight into the ground, and Pikachu fell of him at speed, causing damage to them both, but this was by far preferable to getting seared by a Flamethrower.

"Sorry!" Ash called over to Serena, with a sheepish but apologetic look on his face. "I kinda went into automatic there."

Serena shook her head. "Pikachu's your Pokemon to start with." She then bowed her head slightly, embarrassed. "Besides, you called right. I didn't think to..."

Looking at the battlefield now, it was an utter wreck. Despite the fact their opponents were one Pokemon down, the last explosion had caused heavy damage to their own side, making it a fairly even playing field. Ash looked at his options, deciding what could be done. Pikachu was fairly injured, but Gliscor looked more able to carry on. It's Ground typing had helped it withstand a lot of the damage done to it. Looking closer, however, Ash noticed something about his injured Ground/Flying type. Electricity. Small sparks crackling on Gliscor's outer plating. These didn't hurt Gliscor at all, but they could still be transferred...

"Serena, I've got an idea." Ash stated with a grin.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nils' voice was loud. The fact it was so loud surprised practically everyone who heard it. His shouting was hoarse, and he sounded very angry with his partner. It became clear that Nils was a more awkward person than he was incompetent or inexperienced. He had needed a few moments to get used to tag battling. Unfortunately for him, those moments had been the majority of his match. Now he was able to push past his personality defect. He seemed in that moment, fiercely protective of his Pokemon, and didn't trust others to command them. Unluckily, that was far too late.

"You don't have a clue what you're doing, back off." Amaya stated to her partner, utterly dismissing him, before refocusing on the battle. As far as she was concerned, Nils was a weight dragging her down.

"You can back off!" Nils shot back. "I'll command my own Pokemon, thank you very much."

"Can you not focus on the battle then?!"

"Gliscor, Giga Impact!" Ash called out his Pokemon's most powerful, and most devastating move. Gliscor used its tail as a powerful spring once again, and shot straight towards the distracted Fire type.

"Use Thunderbolt - On Gliscor!" Serena called out. Pikachu didn't hesitate, nor did it question the order it had been given. He had used this same technique on other Pokemon with Ash, so he had total faith in the order. Pikachu sent a bolt of lightning towards the speeding Gliscor, sending a total shockwave all over Gliscor's armour plated body, charging the entire mass of the Pokemon in a yellow, bolting glow, sizzling with electrical energy.

The impact was immense. The Thunder-Giga Impact had gained so much strength from the speed Gliscor haI d gained, plus the sheer power that Giga Impact had as a move. Additionally, the static charge that it had gained from the Thunderbolt attack had increased the damage immensely. The impact sent Magmotar right off its feet, with a winded cry, sending it onto its back. And right out of the match altogether. It made one final attempt to stand again, but it was a futile effort, as its arms gave up on it, refusing to support its weight, and let it crash down into the ground again with a final thud. The outcome couldn't be clearer.

Ash and Serena had won.

* * *

"Drapion, Pin Missile!"

"Meowstic, Use Shadow Ball!"

Hurtling the opposing Conkeldurr into the wall by his trainer, Paul and Miette's own tag match had gone rather well. Paul's battling style was based on power, and not giving his opponents a chance to retaliate, unless it worked to his benefit. The battling style Miette seemed to have was based around suppression, not allowing her opponents to attack her or her partner, and whittling the enemy down slowly into nothing. The two styles worked well together, securing them victory.

The two pairs met in the stands after their respective battles, to congratulate each other, and to watch the remaining battles take place. There were some very impressive battles on display for the group to watch. Some exceedingly aggressive and violent ones, and others were played as mere strategy games

Others, were downright terrifying.

 **"Our next battle is Freya and Markus..."** The audience exploded into cheers. And it was understandable. From what Ash had learned, Freya and Markus were two of the tournaments most frequent participants. They had met in battle many times, and there had been a longing for them to be on the same team since the Revolution Castle tournament tradition had been re-established. Ash had thought the guy with a Salamance had a fearsome reputation. From what he had heard, these guys were practically the poster children for this entire tradition.

 **"...Versus Sierra and Beta!"**

Suddenly, Paul got up from his seat. "I've seen enough."

"What?" Miette spoke up the loudest, sounding both surprised and upset at this declaration.

"I don't want to waste more of my time on this. I saw who I wanted to see. Now I want to train." He said simply. He looked at Miette. Ash could swear his face wasn't as cold when he looked at her. "I'll meet you in the cafe at 7." And with that declaration, he left, his hands in his pockets, and up the steps, away from the group. Miette watched him leave, and looked rather annoyed after he had gone.

"Rude." She muttered.

Attention was then shifted back to the battlefield. The Pokemon had already been released. From Markus, his bulking mammoth of a Blastoise, and from Freya, an imposing and powerful appearing Garchomp. From Sierra, came a sturdy Magnazone, and from Beta, a large Muk. Each Pokemon was clearly trained, battle hardened, and experienced. It was looking to be a very exciting battle.

Ash remembered Sierra and Beta. The attitudes they had had. The loudmouth Sierra and the robotic Beta. He wondered... How strong were they in battle?

The match began. It was over in a moment.

"Garchomp, Dragon Claw!" Freya commanded with a grin on her face. Her Garchomp was away in an instant, lunging at the Muk.

This attack did less than nothing.

The attack took Garchomp's claw into Muk's slimy body, the viscous matter that made up Muk's body enwrapped around the Dragon type's hand, pulling it in further. The Garchomp tried to out its other hand on Muk to help it push away from, but all it did was grab hold of both Garchomp's hands. The more it struggles, the easier it was for Muk to entangle it.

Beta observed the battle with nothing on his face. No anger, no energy, no enthusiasm. Nothing. He was a dead face. He gave his next order coldly and calmly, no wavering in his voice. No mercy in it either.

"Suffocate it."

The Muk followed this order without question, and seemed to pull Garchomp within its body, intending to rob it of air. The Garchomp fought back desperately, but nothing it did was of any use at all, only serving to help ease up the process of its Poison type opponent completely smothering it. When Ash's Muk did this, it never absorbed anyone or anything inside it like this. It wasn't a match anymore, it was a cage fight.

"Blastoise, help out Garchomp, now!" Markus ordered his Water type to help his partners Pokemon. His Blastoise agreed vocally, and physically, making its way over to the scene. Garchomp was completely gone, encased, surrounded by the pile of Muk he had to fight to save his partners Pokemon. It was like a scene from an old action movie.

"You won't interfere!" Sierra commented, a chirp in her tons, as her Magnazone approached the Water type. "Thunder!"

Within a second, a huge bolt of lighting shot the Water type. The screams of pain and anguish was something Ash and Serena never would forget. Utter pain. It was a belly screech. Truly excruciating to listen to, but Ash couldn't even begin ti imagine the sheer pain Blastoise would be in.

But it just didn't stop.

Magnazone didn't stop using Thunder on Blastoise, instead allowing its intensity to increase, forcing more power onto the Water type punching bag, as its yells and cries of pain loudened. People stared at this horror, not even blinking, in true shock at this utter brutality. This ferocity. This... Bloodlust.

Up to a minute had passed before Magnazone finally ended its move. Blastoise was so charged, it couldn't even move. It couldn't even blink. It fell onto the ground and remained rigid, like a statue. Scars of seared flesh showed, and a smoke rose from the unconscious Water type.

"Coming up, served, roasted to perfection, 'astoise steak!" Sierra declared, smiling at her Pokemon's results of nothing but pure bliss. Seeing Markus' horrified face made her smile. She loved this part of her job. "Beta, you gonna keep this up much longer. Toying with them is cruel... But it is fun. Are you actually having fun for once?"

Beta made no movement, no comment. He simply stared at his Muk keeping the Dragon encaged. He felt no joy in this. No pride. No guilt, empathy, sympathy, or mercy. This was merely an order being carried out from a superior to an underling. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Let my Pokemon go!" Freya yelled at Beta and Muk, doing her best to intimidate them using only her voice. But her tone was unmistakable. She was desperate. Scared. Worried for her Garchomp.

Beta said nothing. "..."

"Let him go!" Freya yelled again. Her voice was becoming less demanding and more pleading every second. Wavers, stutters, and words catching in her throat as she tried to pronounce them gave her away.

"..."

"Stop this!"

"..."

"Please stop!"

"..."

"You'll - You'll kill Garchomp!"

"..."

Freya at this point wasn't even able to hide the tears running down her face. She had resorted to outright begging Beta to release her Garchomp. She couldn't even return her Garchomp. It was just totally surrounded by Muk. She was absolutely helpless. Pride shattered, she fell to her knees, and begged. "Please... Please stop... Im begging you..."

"..."

Freya's sobs were the only thing that could be heard at this point. Echoed throughout the entire stadium, to thousands of people. Ash, Serena and Miette watched this scene in absolute horror. Ash's eyes widened. He knew these people were dangerous. Dangerous yes. Psychotic? He hadn't expected such lust for pain from them. Freya was begging for mercy for her Garchomp, and Beta had simply ignored them, without even changing his expression. Not even once. What worried Ash was that there were people like that in the world.

"...Battle resolution is confirmed. Further conflict unrequited. Victory assured." He looked at his Muk and gave a simple order. "Release the Land Shark." His voice showed no signs of remorse, or even slight guilt.

His Pokemon complied, and essentially did what equivocated to spitting out the Dragon Ground type. No oxygen had reached Garchomp in the last two minutes. The result made Garchomp unconscious, and once spat out, it did not move. It was covered in sludge, and looked incredibly pale. It wasn't released gently. More like thrown out, and it hit the ground, and skidded along it before stopping near Freya, whom ran and hugged her Pokemon, crying and in tears. Within seconds, medical attention for both Blastoise was on the scene, stretchers, oxygen tanks, and treatment for paralysis and poison were there. The injuries were brutal. Perhaps fatal.

Ash just watched this whole thing happen, in silence, the nails in his fingers digging into his skin as his fist tightened.

* * *

"Both Pokemon are heavily injured, however, I expect them to make a recovery."

Nurse Joy's announcement had brought relief to the many people whom had come to see the condition of the Pokemon. People whom had wanted to offer condolences and support had also received such relief at the news the two Pokemon would be okay.

Markus was present for the news. He started laughing to himself now that such worry was released from his chest. His hands covered his face and he laughed gently. "Oh, thank God..."

Freya looked like a trick had just been raised off of her. Her face showed just how happy she was. Relief. Joy. Gratitude. It did nothing to help her shattered pride, ruined reputation, and her crippling humiliation, but she shed several more tears upon this revelation. A trainer next to her put their arm around her and held her close, offering sympathy to the female trainer, and giving gentle, comforting reassurances.

Ash, Serena and Miette all were thankful. What they had witnessed had been nothing short of brutal. Savage. Barbaric. Horrific. Terrifying. The news that the Pokemon were going to be okay was the only good news they had heard since witnessing the slaughter.

"Nurse." One trainer stepped forward. He had been a winner of his round. He was in a white overcoat, a white beanie hat, and grey jeans. He had long brown hair, and murky blue eyes. His face expressed concern, bordering fear. Serena recalled that his name was Rhodes. "What about those two? Those... Savages?"

Nurse joy sighed. "Technically, their actions were within the rules of the tournament, so their victory is, as much as I disagree with anyone that could cause... This, they will be present in round two."

Rhodes looked haunted. He took a deep breath. "In that case, I drop out."

At this moment, several people began muttering and conversing amongst themselves at this sudden declaration. From what was being said, Ash learned that no one had dropped out of the tournament before. And additionally, Rhodes and his partner were set the battle Sierra and Beta in the second round.

"Rhodes, what the hell?!" A male whom looked like the person Rhodes had fought alongside spoke up, yelling at him, furious. "I don't remember agreeing that we were going to do that, we -"

Rhodes jammed a finger into his partners chest, and glared at him. "Have you seen what happened to those Pokemon in there, Elis? That wasn't a battle, that was a glorified cage match. You want that to happen to your Pokemon, thats fine, thats on you, but I'm not letting that happen to mine!" He removed his finger from his partners chest and stormed off, without another word.

"I'm afraid if your partner has dropped out, you are unable to participate as well." Nurse Joy informed the other trainer, Elis, with an apologetic look.

Elis yelled out in frustration. "Damn it!" He knew however, that fighting the end verdict was absolutely pointless. He made his way out the same door Rhodes had exited through, punching the doorframe as he went. The more he thought about it, Ash couldn't even slightly blame Rhodes for doing what he did. In fact, he sort of respected it. He was unwilling to endanger his own Pokemon against a foe he had no confidence against. Combine that with the brutality that Beta and Sierra used in their fights... It was very easy to walk away. To protect your Pokemon. Looking at Freya again, still a total wreck, Ash had little doubt she would have done the same.

* * *

That evening, Sierra found herself waiting in the usual point, waiting with Beta. The girl was sick of all the waiting, all the stealth. The fight had been her only source of entertainment all day, and that was fleeting, done within a few moments. Their opponents had been utterly pathetic. Weaklings. They had won, but it was clear the crowd hadn't supported them. They were shocked by the way her and Beta battled.

' _Pathetic_ ' She thought. It was the trainers own fault. They remained weak, blissful, ignorant. And they acted shocked when they came into contact with people who knew the harsh realities. Refusing to acknowledge the brutality and the fierce battle for survival, favouring those laughable distractions.

"Hey Beta, what do you think? Will the crowd be cheering for us tomorrow?" Sierra asked her partner. She smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She barely even attempted to engage in conversation with the guy. It was like getting blood out of a stone, but she was going to go insane if she didn't have some sort of entertainment.

"Irrelevant." Beta replied. "That is not our purpose. We achieve our goals. Everything else is irrelevant." Beta stood upright, not even seeming to bat an eye at the question. Just like a computer.

"Everything is irrelevant, huh?" Sierra knew she was grasping straws, but she didn't care, she was going to throw herself off a building if she didn't get something to pass the time. "I don't think you think that. I think you're actually pretty sentimental about me."

"Elaborate."

"If everything else is irrelevant, why did you sabotage the partner selection?" She grinned. "If everything else is irrelevant, then why did it matter that we were together?"

"It is easier to co-ordinate our efforts working as one unit. It is efficient. I hold no sentiment toward you." Beta stated blankly.

"Yes, yes. Nothing holds any sentiment to you, I get it, you freaking robot."

"Clarification - A robot requires the ability to receive commands." Beta then slowly turned to Sierra. His face didn't change at all. It never did. "Do not assume you can command me."

Sierra shuddered. "R-Right... Sorry." Beta's calm threats made her shudder. And she knew for a fact Beta would not state anything he would do to her without being both a hundred percent capable of doing it, and wanting to do it. Any threats he made were promises he would very easily go through with. She had seen it first hand. Iota had never stood a chance.

"Target approaching." Beta stated.

Sierra looked out towards the battlefield. From their hiding spot next to the switched off neon sign in the middle of the night, and in the rain, they went unnoticed, and allowed them perfect sight over all of the stadium. It was near impossible to be spotted, and very easy to spot incoming individuals.

"Callsign." Beta commanded. An order for Sierra.

"On it." She replied, and knelt down. With a pause between them of one second, Sierra clapped three times. The clap echoed through the stadium, only accompanied by the sound of rain.

The hooded figure froze in place, before raising his hands. He then carried on walking, keeping his hands raised. If he clapped back, it could just be a random person, seeing if their claps echoed. No one would normally raise their hands.

"Contact confirmed. It is him." Beta stated the obvious.

 _'Oh, thank God you're here, Beta.'_ Sierra thought to herself, sighing. ' _Clearly his inate intelligence is what caused him to be in charge of this. Where would I be without him?_ ' The sarcasm behind her thoughts could only be thicker if covered with syrup. "You think?" She said aloud, with an audible sigh. "Whatever, let's get this over with." She jumped down from her perch, landing at the top of the stairs that were below her. The contact made their way to her, slowly, walking up one step at a time. Their face hidden. "Psi, were you followed?"

"No." Came the simple response.

"Good." Sierra replied. "It would be bad if we were found out to have three members in this tournament."

"We'd be less likely to be discovered if you two didn't put on a show of brutality. I saw that entire battle. What the hell were you thinking?" Psi replied, annoyed. "You already got attention called to you when you had that fight with that Kantoean. The plan was to lay low, not become the focus of the tournament."

"Sierra is unable to contain herself." Beta stated, still stood on the ledge above the two conversing. He watched over them, his face still neutral.

"Beta." Psi nodded. "I see you're... Still you. It's really not great having to meet like this." The hooded figure sighed. "I hate tradition."

"Due to partner number limitations, we are unable to work as a full unit." Beta stated. "Sierra and I were partnered together only because I hacked the system. The rest are random. Me and Sierra have experience working as a single unit. You are an additional variable. It is logical to wish to go with a guaranteed result than risk an unknown conclusion." Beta told Psi. "The plan is important. We cannot risk it on unknowns."

"I suppose." Psi nodded.

"Is your partner a potential target?" Beta inquired.

"Unknown at this time."

"Acknowledged. Have any competitors presented themselves as a potential target?"

"Several. Multiple groups are shown to be potential targets. I recommend waiting until later in the tournament. Then we can select the best."

"A logical recommendation." Beta nodded.

"What do we do if we end up fighting each other?" Sierra asked. "We never discussed that possibility."

"Treat it like any other battle." Beta told her, simply. "Show no signs of knowing the other."

"Should I throw the match if we fight?" Psi asked, tilting his head behind his hood.

"Irrelevant." Beta said. "The victor will not matter by that point. Victory will be secondary. Data will be acquired."

Sierra showed her teeth in a cruel smile. "Watch out, Psi~"

Psi paid her no heed. While a relatively new member to their organisation, he had already earned the respect of his superiors. He knew the organisations goals, how it got its funding, and why everyone in there wanted the organisation to succeed. They had their own reasons. Psi's was for power. Regardless of what he wanted, he found Sierra immensely annoying. He also disliked Beta for his robotic speech. Despite that however, they had been paired together. It was wiser to simply not question the orders he had been given. That Would be... Much healthier.

He had to admit, Beta's unique personality helped him remain analytical and ruthless without emotional damage or restraint.

Sierra was just...

"Hrmm? Skitty got your tongue~?"

...Irritating.

"This topic is irrelevant to the meeting." Beta said, putting everyone back on track, in as repetitive, robotic and monotone a voice as ever. "Psi. Are any candidates of particular notice?"

"There are, actually. They knew each other before coming here, and they ended up as a tag team battling pair. Your interfering must have stopped interrupted the shuffle as their names were together. Their Pokemon work well. They're good targets." Psi reported, his main, if not only, reason for being here.

"State their names." Their squad commander, Beta, instructed.

"Ash and Serena."


	15. Determination

That night, Serena found herself watching out the window, into the dark night. It was raining, heavily. That upset her. She wanted to stand out on the balcony and get some fresh air too, but that was no longer possible. But regardless, she watched outside. She watched the rain hit the glass, and the trees in the wind being swayed side to side.

They had won their first round, but in all honesty, the future of the contest looked bleak. What had started as a fun little adventure for everyone, had instead devolved, into a sort of survival game. Sierra and Beta had slaughtered their way through their opponents, and there had been little to no mistaking their tactics. Unmerciful, unadulterated force and power. They cared little for the health of their own Pokemon, never mind the enemies Pokemon. From the sounds of them, they barely even respected human life, and not just Pokemon's lives. But their attitude also reflected a much darker tactic. They wanted to scare the opposition, intimidate their opponents into giving up, making them leave. They could win without having another battle if they truly horrified their opponents.

And it felt like it had worked.

Serena had seen up close the damage that those two had caused again Markus' Blastoise and Freya's Garchomp. Blastoise had been electrocuted until it was burned on the flesh, and had been shocked until it's nerve endings were completely severed, and removed its ability to move. And Garchomp had come dangerously close to entering the eternal sleep. Covered in sludge, the end result was a Pokemon that would be on a long and painful road to recovery. Freya had been an absolute wreck after seeing her Garchomp's injuries up close. She had cried for a long time, apologizing to the unconscious Pokemon again and again. Serena wondered, what kinda of people could do this without feeling a shred of remorse?

Freya had begged Beta to release her Pokemon. She had fallen onto her knees and essentially bowed to him, pleading for mercy for her Pokemon, and he hadn't even budged an inch. His face never even changed. He just stared at her, his face cold and unfeeling. Calculating. Utterly ruthless and remorseless. He only let her Pokemon go because he saw it as more efficient than simply killing Garchomp. A completely cruel, remorseless and savage individual, Beta worried Serena.

And Sierra seemed like a pure blooded sadist. Energetic and cruel, enjoying toying with her opponents... The two seemed like a pair of complete and utter psychopaths.

Serena shuddered. She was worried for her own Pokemon. She was worried about...

"Serena?"

The blonde girl turned to face the voice that had emitted from behind her. A soothing, familiar voice. "Ash?"

"I've been looking for you for a while." Ash said with a smile. He walked and stood next to his friend and watched the night time outside beside her, like she had been doing moments ago. She was now focused on him however. He had his hands behind his back and a calm expression on his face. "I like just watching the rain."

"You do?"

"Yeah. Its relaxing. Calming. Helps me think." He said. "And it's just refreshing. I did it a lot when I was in Kanto." He thought back to the past two years as he looked out the window into the dark forest at the foot of the hilltop. How often it had rained when he had been there, especially during the spring months. At those times, he had had so little to do. He felt himself go a bit insane from boredom. There had been lots of paperwork to do, as he had found out later on. It had been during those flurries of work he had found out just how relaxing it could be to just watch the rain fall onto the grass.

Serena relaxed herself and watched outside again with him. "So do I." She managed to smile lightly. His company made her feel better, warmer in her chest. Just his presence made her happier. She forced herself to relax more. "What did you need me for?"

Ash sighed and bowed his head. He then looked up at Serena. "Our opponents for the next round dropped out."

"What?" Serena looked at Ash with a sharp tilt of her head towards Ash, looking at his serious face. She wanted to think he was joking, but there was no chance of that. He was telling the truth, just by the look on his face and in his eyes. "They dropped out?"

"Yeah. Kinda disappointing." Ash muttered. "I was hoping for another battle." He folded his arms and sighed, looking out the window, watching the rain hit the glass and run down its smooth surface. He watched a single droplet run down the window, and then fall onto the ground once it reached the bottom.

"So... Does that mean that we skip a round?" Serena asked her crush, concerned. While she wouldn't complain, she felt like Ash would be disappointed.

"...Well, here's the thing... So many people dropped out..." Ash's voice started becoming lower, and his eyebrows burrowed in. His eyes sharpened, with his eyelids coming down and covering half of his visible retinas.

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Wait. How many people dropped out? I know a few groups dropped out, but how many altogether?..."

Ash looked at his partner and read the expression on her face. Concern, curiosity. Anxiety and anticipation. She wanted to know. Needed to know.

"Uh... A few people..."

"Please Ash..." Serena looked at him with pleading eyes.

"...The semi finals start tomorrow."

"The _what?!_ " Serena exclaimed, and stared at Ash in absolute shock. Nearly every single group had dropped out and now only four groups were left? Suddenly, Serena felt her hands shaking. She knew Sierra and Beta were tough opponents. Intimidating opponents. But this effect on people?... But then again, she had almost had a similar reaction. She didn't know what to think. Her mind sprawled out in front of her, thinking, considering, wondering what to do. "The Semi Finals... This was supposed to last a week at least..." Suddenly, she felt the sharp pang of guilt. This had been something Ash had been looking forward to taking part in. It was her surprise to him. To let him let release all the battling energy he had stored over the last few years. For him to kick back and relax. Or, do the closest thing to relax in his case. But she had chosen poorly. This entire tournament had been ruined by the surprise arrival of two opponents whom had shaken the entire foundations of the traditional contest. "I'm sorry..."

"What?" Ash looked at Serena with questioning eyes. He looked deep into her own eyes, searching them for an answer, an explanation. "Why on earth do you feel the need to apologize?"

"Because this was all supposed to be for you..." Serena said, sadly to the Kantoean. Her own bad feelings made her feel sick. She had wanted to treat Ash to something that made him happy, but she had failed.

Ash looked at Serena, his heart heavy and hurting. Seeing her like this was unbearable. He rested a hand on her shoulder sympathetically, but it didn't seem to do much, to Ash's chagrin. He then looked outside. "Hey. The rains stopped..." The Kantoean observed, seeing the water pellets were now no longer bouncing off the glass, but were now rolling down the smooth surface. Serena also looked at the ceased rain too, watching the dark sky and dark clouds still hovering, threatening to unleash more rain upon the Earth, but for now, they were safe from the downfall.

"I guess..."

"Come on. Lets go for a walk."

* * *

"So, there's about six teams that are still going." Ash explained, as he slowly walked along a path with Serena to his near left. The two walked together comfortably, as Ash explained the situation to his friend. The petrichor scent that came after the rain was weak on the air, but still there. The cool breeze lightly hit both their faces, making them just slightly cold. Occasionally, they would move to avoid a puddle of water on the ground. The whole area was damp, so they tried to avoid going under trees and the likes, so they wouldn't be hit by dropping water.

"Right." Ash explained. "Technically speaking, the semi finals won't start until later in the day, but they do start tomorrow. There's one quarter final match going on, and then its right onto the semi finals."

"But wont that leave an odd number of matches?" Serena asked, with a quizzical look.

"Yeah. One team will just have to battle twice I guess, I don't know." Ash shrugged. He hadn't found out exactly what would happen there. Maybe they'd flip a coin. Who knew?

"Okay." Serena nodded. Ash would at least get a battle, which was really all he could ask for. But she was confused, conflicted. She wasn't sure if Ash wanted to actually fight Beta and Sierra, never mind if she wanted to fight them herself. "Who do we battle?"

"Well, we're fighting a team of two called Haru and Pietro. From what I've seen, Pietro seems to favor Dark types, and Haru prefers Fire types." Ash reported. As he did so, he held up a piece of paper, showing her the brackets for the torment that hadn't been crossed out.

Serena stared at this piece of paper for what felt like a really long time. She looked at all the names that had dropped out, realizing just how much people were intimidated by the monster pair that was Sierra and Beta. She wondered, did they make the right choice? Never give up till its over. Those were the words, Ash's words, that she had lived by since she had met him. But was it really giving up if it guaranteed your Pokemon's, your friends, safety? These people had decided it was best to guarantee their Pokemon's safety. She couldn't chagrin them that.

"Who are... Those two fighting?" Serena asked, referring to Sierra and Beta. She scanned the brackets, following their names along the bracket line they had progressed up. She stopped and swallowed when she saw. Hard.

They were up against Paul and Miette.

"They'll be fine." Ash said, reassuring Serena. He had had a similar reaction when he saw. But he had confidence in Paul and Miette. "...I hope."

Serena just let out a sigh of depression. She wasn't sure what to think anymore.

"...We don't have to do this, you know." Ash said, suddenly. Serena looked at him, facing him square on. "We could drop out as well if you wanted to."

"But - But don't you want to battle?" Serena asked, her eyes widening at Ash's words, and his offering. She knew Ash. Loved him. Even though she kept that last part to herself, she knew him. He wouldn't want to give up just because it seemed dangerous, and nor would his Pokemon.

"I do. I do want to keep going." Ash said. But he then , surprisingly, smiled at Serena warmly. "But I'm not gonna force you to keep doing something that you don't want to do. If you want to drop out now, I'll have no protests, and no regrets."

"If I dropped out, it wouldn't be fair on you though..." Serena said back to Ash, quieter than before.

"You're too selfless." Ash replied with a light chuckle. "You deserve to be a bit selfish." He then put a hand on her shoulder again, this time, not sympathetically, but affectionately. "Serena, you mean a lot to me. I've known you for years. Forget that, I've known you for most of my life! Don't think for a second that your opinion and feelings are lost on me. I care about them. And you"

Serena felt her heart race and he face heat up, despite the cold air surrounding them. His words were so warm, so sincere. Each one filled her heart with love for him. If only she had the courage to say that...

"But if you don't mind me saying... I believe in you, Serena. If we go out there, we can win. I'm certain of it. You're a much better battler than you think you are. You're smart, and you think on your feet. Pikachu listens to you. That alone took me weeks to make him do. If you think dropping out is better, I won't stop you. But I do know that with you, we can beat this entire tournament." He then looked Serena in the eyes, and smiled at her brightly. "It's your choice."

Serena's own heart was filled now. It had what it needed. It had the encouragement, the belief, and above all, the support of her crush to help her. Her doubt was gone, as was her fear and concern. It was then that she realized she had forgotten something. In this contest, they were a team. She could rely on Ash. And she had to return that. His faith in her had to be matched by her faith in him. And her faith in his was absolute.

She looked at Ash, with a warm and ready smile. Her confidence restored, and her will to never give up revitalized. "You're right. We can win this."

Ash returned that same smile. "That's the Serena I remember."

Serena managed to let out a small laugh.

"Besides, its not like we are definitely going to fight them." Ash reminded her with a smile of his own. "We're kind of just counting Paul and Miette out of the fight already." He chuckled, amused at himself. "Nah, if I know Paul, he isn't gonna go down without a fight."

Serena's eyes widened slightly when she realized Ash was right. She then started to giggle lightly to herself. She hadn't even given time to the thought that they might be able to beat the two. It amused her.

"But hey, regardless of what happens... Thanks. For bringing us here. Thanks for the thought."

Serena couldn't help smiling. No matter how down she felt, or how worried she was, Ash always managed to make her feel better. He knew what to say, and just when to say it. She might have been feeling miserable but a few moments ago, but now? She had confidence.

They could win this.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Once the next day had rolled in, and the day of the semi finals had begun, the announcement of the drop outs had been made to the public. To out it bluntly, there was an outcry. Thousands of boo's and negative shouts were screamed from the stands from disappointed tournament goers. They had wanted a much longer tournament, and it was hard to blame them, Serena had thought. She doubted the non-trainer viewers would be able to understand why so many had dropped out. But she could. She had come close to dropping out herself.

But despite their outrage, there was nothing to viewers could do about it. There simply would be no time to train or gather a fresh batch of contestants. Very few trainers were willing to send their Pokemon into battle against the slaughterhouse this tournament had turned into. Instead, they had to just make do with what they had. There was one additional match that would be going on later today. There was the only quarter final match, and then, to round out the numbers, the judges would flip a coin to decide who had to fight the winner from that additional match, to leave the final two teams for the finals. For Ash and Serena's battle, however, they were focused on first. There was noticeably less enthusiasm from the crowd today. There were cheers and shouts, but much less than the last round. Like they were sulking, like children who were being told they couldn't have a toy from a toy store. Ash actually felt offended. Two Pokemon had nearly died in the previous match, and the crowd somehow had the attitude to be upset that some people had decided to make sure their Pokemon were safe? His hand curled into a fist, shaking with his barely suppressed anger.

"Ash." Serena whispered, smiling at him gently. She felt his same fury, she did, but they both had to relax. They had to remember what they were here to do. There would be time for anger later.

Ash took a look at Serena and relaxed. His fist loosened and became an empty hand again. "Yeah. Sorry." He sighed, resetting his emotions, and forced himself to ignore the selfish attitude of the crowd. He was here to battle. To train. To help get stronger still. But above all, he was here to have fun. Not to impress these people.

He and Serena reached their positions on the battlefield, like they had yesterday. Once there, it finally clicked for Serena just how surreal it was that this was the semi finals. Just yesterday, they had been battling here in the first round, and now, they were here. Same place, but much further in the tournament. It was eerie. It hit home just how many people had been intimidated out of the tournament.

In this moment, Serena felt a shiver run down her spine. She made herself remember Ash's words from last night. They could win this. Just remembering his words, she felt herself regain her composure. She wasn't alone.

Their opponents came onto the battlefield, Pietro and Haru. For anyone to still be here, they had to be confident, or arrogant. These two seemed to fit the bill exactly.

Pietro had an air of arrogance about him. He had silver hair, which was long, and left uncut, reaching to his shoulders, and some threads dangled in front of his hazel eyes. He had pale skin, and he wore a black leather jacket, and a set of black jeans. He also wore a set of glasses that rested on the tip of his nose, so he looked over them. He had a smug composure, which simply radiated from him. He specialized in Dark type Pokemon, according to Ash. His clothing did seem to reflect such.

Haru on the other hand, was very calm and confident. He was Fire type specialist. He wore a red jacket over a black t-shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. His hair had been dyed a bright red color, and had styled it so it was spiked, upwards to the sky, representing a blaze on top of his head. He seemed to very much enjoy his Fire types.

 **"Today, due to the high number of contestants dropping out of the tournament, we will be beginning the semi final matches, plus one quarter final match today!"** The announcer had tried to put enthusiasm into his voice to rally the audience, but to no avail. **"To start this day of battling up, we will begin with Ash and Serena versus Haru and Pietro! Both teams have passed their first rounds with flying colors, both displaying strength, teamwork, and strategy! Would the contestants call upon their Pokemon of choice!"**

"Arcainine, lets go!" Haru moved first, throwing a Pokeball into the air, putting a backwards spin on it as it it rose into the air. The ball cracked, and what the Pokedex described as the legendary Pokemon leaped out from the materializing light. The canine Pokemon let out a loud roar once it took its position on the battlefield, standing proudly.

Next up, Pietro called upon his Pokemon. He tossed his Pokeball on a backhanded throw, allowing it to spin into the center of the battlefield before it released its inhabitant. "Bisharp, battle time!"

His Dark/Steel Pokemon landed onto the battlefield from its capsule home, letting out a loud battle cry. It displayed it's sharp blades that were its natural defenses, and displayed itself in a manner that was ready for conflict. This Pokemon stood ready now, awaiting its opponents.

Ash smiled. They had a very good advantage here. Both Serena and he had Pokemon that had type advantage, and Pokemon that worked well together. Both Pokemon were strong, and had high amounts of power, and the two got along well, and knew each others strategies. Ash knew whom he would use for this battle. "Greninja, I choose you!"

Ash threw his powerful Water type Pokemon's Pokeball into the air, and watched his Ninja Frog Pokemon leap out from it's spherical home, and land on its feet, ready to start a fight once again. The well trained, and highly capable Water/Dark type stood upright, and stood calmly and composed, ready to begin the battle at any time.

The inexperienced but competent battler took notice of her crushes Pokemon choice. She quickly came to a similar conclusion that he had done, and selected her Pokemon accordingly. She had faith in her choice, and enlarged its Pokeball. "Braixen, come out!"

Her Fire Pokemon entered the battlefield with both grace and calm composure. Unlike the other participants in this conflict, Braixen made no extravagant noises, or furious battle cries. It simply stood up, and armed itself with its stick it used in conflict, spinning it in one hand, ready to begin when it had to.

The two Kalosian Pokemon knew each other very well, and made a very good team. This match looked to be in Ash and Serena's favor. Obviously they both knew it still was not going to be that easy, but they felt better about having the type advantage to begin with.

 **"If there are no objections... Battle begin!"** The announcer declared, marking the beginning of the conflict. He spoke with the same enthusiasm as he did yesterday, so at least someone was still enjoying themselves.

Ash felt eager and impatient, so he made the first move. He smiled to himself, and called out his first attack. "Greninja, use Water Shuriken on Arcainine!"

His Greninja complied rapidly. Once the move had been called out, Greninja was already collecting the water vapor from the air into it's palms, and crafted them quickly into the shapes of ninja shuriken throwing stars, and as quickly as he had formed them, Greninja had aimed and fired two spinning water blades at the Fire type Pokemon.

"Bisharp, intercept!" Pietro commanded. His Bisharp moved with speed, its moves deliberate and well coordinated. It was very fast, especially for a Steel type Pokemon, as it managed to reach its ally before the rapidly reaching Water type moves were able to connect. Using its steel blades on its arms, it was able to make a perfect slice against them, exactly down the center of the Water Shuriken attacks, erasing them completely.

"Braizen, use Flamethrower on Bisharp!" Serena told her Pokemon. Braixen spun its stick in its hand, generating the heat and sparking the fire, and then unleashing the Fire type move upon the Steel type Pokemon. The blast hit with searing heat, and was sure to do high amounts of damage.

If it had been able to hit. Acting on impulse, without order from its trainer, the Bisharp had quickly used the move Protect, encasing it and its partner in a kinetic shield, defending it from the blast. The move had been used at the last second, and had lasted a rather long time. This was a very strong Bisharp, no doubt. The Dark/Steel type dropped the Protect, and made a target of Braixen.

"Night Slash!" Pietro ordered. With that command, the blades on Bisharp's arms extended, and glowed a dark black color, and it made its way quickly to Braixen, reaching out and slashing at the Fire type, whom took to dodging it very quickly, narrowly avoiding each attack. Bisharps attacks were as quick as its improvisation, putting Braixen, a Fire and Psychic type at a huge disadvantage. An attack from this Bisharp would cause a lot of damage, damage that couldn't be afforded.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken on Bisharp again!" Ash commanded, his Greninja already aiming it's strikes.

"Braixen, use Fire Spin!" Serena commanded at the same time. Braixen took to unleashing a Fire type move every few times it dodged a Night Slash attack. Bisharp was able to dodge as quickly as it could attack, but this was mostly a diversionary tactic. Bisharp wouldn't be able to dodge both Braixen and Greninja attacking separately.

"Arcainine, Thunder Fang on Greninja, go!" Haru commanded. Ash bit his lip. Haru had been sitting on the sidelines for a while, evidently waiting for an opportunity to attack. It had a move that could counter its Water type weakness. Static charges sparking from its elevated fangs, the Arcainine ran towards the Water type with speed, already running when it's moved had been called out, and halfway to its target before Ash could call out a response.

"Greninja, Double Team!"

Arcainine leaped at Greninja, fiercely snarling at the cornered frog Pokemon, and widened its jaw, and then clamped down, striking the Water Type, only for it to explode into a puff of dust. Now surrounding it, was at least a group of ten Greninja, with only one real target. Through skill and careful precision, the Water Shuriken attack was still powering up. It took a few more seconds for the attack to be aimed, but now, ten Water Shuriken attacks were flung towards Bisharp. The Dark type was able to dodge several of them, narrowly dodging the majority of the attacks, until one finally connected, hitting the speedy Steel type, knocking it backwards, away from Braixen. Staggering, the Steel/Dark type regained its placing. The attacks had come too quickly for it to use Protect to defend itself, but thankfully for it, the attack hadn't done too much damage.

"Use Cut!" Ash ordered.

Before Bisharp could register what was happening, Greninja skidded from nowhere behind it, already holding its energy stick that it would attack the oblivious opponent with. It was in too close a proximity for Protect to do any good. It would just trap Bisharp into a close proximity to Greninja.

The Cut attack hit Bisharp right in the back of the neck, which created a reaction from the recipient, in the form of a grunt of pain. The attacks momentum carried into Bisharp, and sent it flying from Greninja, albeit just a few meters away.

Greninja made a smirk of satisfaction at its rapid success. The speed it was so proud of had once again, aided in battle. However, as it was grinning, its smile turned into a cry pf pain, as the Arcainine that Greninja had duped had caught up to the Water type, unleashing a critically striking Thunder Fang attack. The strike had caught Greninja's arm, but the electricity from the attack sent itself throughout the Water types body.

"Use Psybeam!" Serena commanded Braixen, and her command was obeyed with speed and precision. The Psychic type attack was already making contact mere seconds after Serena had called the attack. Braixen had aimed and struck with force, knocking the opposing Arcainine off Greninja.

Greninja staggered on its feet, unbalanced. The electrical energy that had quickly administered itself throughout Greninja's system, causing a great deal of damage, as well as disorienting the Water frog. Greninja fell onto one knee, but was quickly supported upright by Braixen. The Fire fox Pokemon gave a small cry of concern. In return, the Water frog Pokemon gave a small noise of reassurance, and shrugged off its remaining static charge. Greninja was far from out of this fight.

"Arcainine, use Ember!" Haru requested from his Pokemon. A salvo of small flames of fire flung themselves at the pair of Pokemon, hitting, but not damaging all that much. Greninja and Braixen were able to stand up, and simply tank the hits, as they did such little damage.

In this moment, in a manner mimicking Greninja's feat, the opposing Bisharp had made its way into close proximity, behind the two assisting Pokemon. The opponent let a cruel grin appear.

"Night Slash!" Pietro called out, and it was to be. A sharp strike from Bisharp made contact with a fatigued Braixen, sending a super effective direct hit right into the abdomen of the performing Pokemon, knocking it to its knees. The attack had winded the Fire type. No cry of pain came out, just a breathless gasp.

"X-Scissor!"

Greninja looked at Braixen on the ground attempting to reclaim its breath. Seeing this, Greninja faced its opponent in a fit of rage, only to be hit back by a X-Scissor attack straight to the face, the momentum knocking back the Water/Dark type backward, off its feet, and sending it flying backwards a few meters.

"Greninja!" Ash called out with concern. Seeing these moves done with such timing, he began to piece together his opponents strategies.

The Bisharp was the main threat behind the enemies attacks. It was clear it was stronger than the Arcainine, despite being at a type disadvantage to it. The Bisharp was fast, precise, and could hit with power and deadly accuracy. It could move quickly, unnoticed, and strike its opponents for deadly damage. It had a range of moves that helped it compensate for its weaknesses, but above all, it was able to use its raw strength to hammer its opponents. Meanwhile, while the Arcainine was strong, it was being used primarily as a whittler. It would damage the opponent for Bisharp, so Bisharp could hit for more damage, and kept away from its opponents until needed. Arcainine weakened the way for its stronger partner to wipe the floor with its opponents. They seemed to take hits, and then strike their opponents with extreme force. They covered one another too, making sure one of them was never under too much direct fire.

That was noticeable to Ash. It was a weakness in the strategy they were employing. The majority of people who had entered the tournament had been solo battlers, paired up with other solo battlers. As a result, they didn't seem to get along all that well. These two were experienced trainers, used to having to work in unfavorable conditions. It also seemed likely that, due to their coordination and risks to help the others Pokemon, that they were friends, or at least got along well. There was some respect between them, no doubt, which lead them to have faith in one another. Like Ash had faith in Serena. They could work as a team. But this left an opening.

Without one, the other wouldn't be able to stay upright.

If Serena's Pokemon was knocked out, it would be possible for Ash to recover the battle. He had far more experience than her, and she was acting as support more than anything in these battles. Haru and Pietro however, they acted as one unit. This lead to a weakness in their team. It was unlikely that the other would be able to stand and fight solo should one be knocked out. An appropriate metaphor would be that they were acting like legs of a chair.

If they only had half the needed number, the chair was useless. Likewise, if one of them was knocked out of the battle, the other would swiftly follow.

'But which one to target?...' Ash wondered. He scanned the battlefield.

Arcainine was the logical choice. Weaker, and Greninja had a type advantage, as well as priority moves that would damage Arcainine for a lot. It made sense to target the weaker half of this combination.

But Haru and Pietro had to know that.

So, Bisharp? That was an easier task said than done. Bisharp was exceptionally tough for its species and typing. This made attacking it very difficult. It was quick, enough to dodge attacks, and tough enough the harm both their Pokemon, with super effective moves no less. Type advantage aside, that meant nothing if you couldn't make contact with your target.

But then again, Bisharp seemed to defend Arcainine a lot...

Ash grinned. He had his strategy.

"Serena!" He called out to his partner. She looked at him, ready to hear what he had to say. "Focus everything on Arcainine! Don't hold back on Fire type attacks!"

Serena gave him a quizzical look. Fire type attacks wouldn't help against an Arcainine. But regardless, she had total faith in Ash. She wouldn't question his plan. She believed in him. She nodded at him, agreeing to do so. _'He knows what he's doing.'_

"Greninja, can you still battle?" Ash asked his damaged Pokemon. Greninja stood up, but the fatigue from battle showed. The Water type was injured, had ragged breathing, and had trouble lifting its arms. It managed, but it was clear that last attack had battered a lot of energy out of it. It let out a call, saying it was able to continue. But Greninja was stubborn. It wouldn't admit that it was losing energy with time. It would not accept or admit defeat until it could no longer move. And maybe not even then.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken on Arcainine!" Ash commanded. As it had done before, the water simply appeared from the air in Greninja's palms, aimed and threw within seconds, letting loose two separate shuriken. The stars spun in their axis, gaining speed and cutting through the air.

Their opposing Bisharp quickly ran in front of the strikes, and unleashed a Protect attack once again, defending its partner. The water splashed off it's shield harmlessly, but it hadn't been a gentle impact. Bisharp's shields had taken a beating. They couldn't withstand the next attack.

Braixen, Flamethrower!" Serena called out. Braixen had struggled to its feet, and fired a blaze of fire right at its target, holding nothing back. The attack made contact with the Bisharp's shields, knocking them aside in seconds, hitting the Dark/Steel type for huge damage for the first time.

"Bisharp!" Pietro called to his injured Steel type. Bisharp had taken a huge amount of damage, and struggled to its feet.

"I figured out your strategy." Ash grinned. "Bisharp defends Arcainine because Arcainine is weaker. But even your Pokemon has its limits. You weaken your opponents with smaller damaging attacks, and then Bisharp comes in for the finishing blow. And without one of you, the other will fall very quickly." He had left them two options. Continue defending and lose Bisharp, or separate and attack individually, which would make them individually weaker.

"He figured it out..." Haru muttered to himself.

Serena smiled at Ash. _'I knew he had a plan...'_

"Alright, no choice." Pietro decided. "Go to plan B, individual attacking!"

The two started calling out attacks against targets at their own leisure, Bisharp focusing on Greninja and Arcainine focusing on Braixen. Each calling out moves to weaken their opponents. Moves like Flamethrower, X-Scissor, Night Slash and Quick Attack. Each strike was either dodged or deflected by the now better coordinated Ash and Serena and their Pokemon. Greninja and Braixen had seemed to gain their second wind, as their energy seemed to return to them, able to dodge and unleash attacks with relative ease. Occasionally, they would be hit by an opponents move, but they were able to withstand these attacks with ease.

"Greninja, use Water Shuriken on Arcainine!" Ash called out, suddenly changing targets. "Give it everything you've got!"

Greninja responded by leaping into the air as high as it could, and targeting the battling Fire type, and unleashing a bombardment of water throwing stars against the Pokemon. Arcainine couldn't dodge them even if it had been enough. Hugely damaging multiple strikes sealed its fate. Slamming i to the Fire types side, the attacks sent Arcainine into the ground, knocking it out of the battle completely.

"No, Arcainine!" Haru called out to his knocked out Pokemon. The call was made, that the Fire type could no longer continue. Haru gritted his teeth and returned his Pokemon to its Pokeball, thanking it for its hard work.

"I can still win this!" Pietro called to his partner, filled with bravado and suicidal courage. He ordered more moves, rapidly. He called out move after move, to the point where even Bisharp was having difficulty keeping up. It slashed and defended, alternating battling styles rapidly. Ash had to give credit where it was due, this Bisharp was a very powerful Pokemon. It as he had said, even it had its limits. Fatigue and damage had worn it down, and it simply could not move its legs anymore. It was left open to a heavy double tag team attack.

"Water Shuriken!"

"Flamethrower!"

Both of the battling Pokemon charged up their final moves, putting every single ounce of strength they had into their joint attack. Instead of creating multiple, Greninja focused onto making one large, heavy start, which it threw with still deadly pinpoint accuracy. Braixen channeled every fibre of energy it had into its Flamethrower, the heat and intensity in its flame reflecting such focus and specialist energy. Both of the Pokemon let out a huge, deafening roar, and fired their moves with their perfect aim, both hitting Bisharp at the same time. A huge erupting explosion sent Bisharp flying across the battlefield.

Bisharp was declared out of action before it even hit the floor.

* * *

Their brutal battle over, Ash found himself grinning. They had defeated a pair of exceptionally difficult opponents. The satisfaction he felt after defeating the pair had been immensely good. He found himself reflecting on why they had been such difficult opponents to defeat. The answer he had come up with was teamwork.

The ability to work as one despite there being two of them. It had made them much stronger.

Ash smiled. He and Serena were able to work as a team. It made them stronger as a team themselves. He couldn't have asked for a better partner.

They were in the finals now, he realized. While it hadn't exactly been as extravagant as expected, due to so many people bailing out, but that didn't matter so much, as long as there was a few good battles. It was now just a simple question.

Who would they face?

A brutal battle had been anticipated in the match between Paul and Miette versus Beta and Sierra. Both groups had tough reputations of brutal battling, solid tactics, and pure, raw power. Despite that, the odds had been heavily stacked against Paul and Miette. Their opponents were like technologically advanced barbarians, and were as ruthless as such. They had single handedly intimidated more than half the competition into bailing out. That was a testament to their strength. But their current opponents wouldn't give up without a fight.

This was a battle the audience did seem excited for. There was lots of cheering and chants of support and enthusiasm. They were anticipating a very good battle between the two groups, ferocity, conflict, fast paced action. The things crowds always loved to see in these events.

Ash and Serena were in that same crowd, watching the battle between the two groups. Ash say in solemn silence, his hands together, and his head resting on those hands. He watched intensely. He wanted to see if either side had any openings. He had absolutely no doubt that one of these two groups would be the finalists. He didn't even consider the additional match that would have to take place. He knew those guys would lose against whoever they went up against. Ash had confidence in that.

"Do you think Paul and Miette can win?"

Serena's worried voice caused Ash to turn his head to face her. She was concerned. She probably didn't care too much for Paul, but she was going to be concerned about her friend.

Ash looked back at the match. Already under way, with attacks flying left and right. High paced and high action, and the crowd was already chanting and cheering as the fight commenced. Paul's Aggron and Miette's Slurpuff were sending attack after attack against their vastly stronger opponents. Beta had called upon his Metagross and Sierra had chosen her Porygon-Z, and there were brushing off strikes, and sending back attack after attack, with such displays of power. Paul and Miette were able to hold their own against these attacks, but they were on the defensive. If they were unable to break through their opponents strikes, they would definitely lose this battle.

"...I don't know, Serena." Ash sighed as he watched their battle. He neither wanted to tell Serena the truth, nor did he want to lie to her. He was stuck. And he didn't know how to reply to her right now, torn between the truth and what would make her feel better. He looked to her again, and saw her with her hands tightly balled up into fists. "Hey. If they lose, we can still best Beta and Sierra, I'm sure."

Serena smiled weakly at him. That hadn't done much to reassure her.

* * *

"Aggron, Flash Cannon!"

His Steel type Pokemon was battered, but Paul continued calling out strikes regardless, which it took a very valiant attempt at following. Releasing a shrill roar of power, Aggron released a flash of brilliant light at the opposing Metagross. The attack hit, but it did essentially nothing. Paul had known the attack would have been resisted due to typing, but Aggron was very powerful. It should have at least had some sort of effect on the opponent!

"Tri-Attack!" Sierra called out to her Porygon-Z. A brief flash of three of the elements, Fire, Electric, and Ice, and a brilliant white beam hit Miette's Slurpuff directly. The attack had been focused directly on the weakest point Slurpuff had; its nose. Blasting the Fairy type into the sky, it landed next to its trainer, completely out of action. Slurpuff had held its own for a long time, but it wasn't a battling Pokemon. It had reached its limits a long time ago, and had been running in sheer adrenaline reserves for a while now.

"Slurpuff!" Miette knelt down by her Pokemon, holding it in her arms. The poor Fairy type was absolutely battered. Cuts, scars and bruises everywhere, and it's nose, from that attack, had been seriously injured. A random after effect from Tri-Attack had effected Slurpuff. In this case, a burn. Slurpuff had not only been knocked out of the match, it had been knocked out altogether. Horrific damage had been done to Slurpuff. Like it had been to Blastoise and Garchomp the day before, but thankfully, this was controllable damage. This wouldn't be too dangerous. But all the same, the paramedics came out with stretchers once again for the Fairy type. It was worse than it looked...

"Conclusion assured. Data retrieved." Beta said. His monotonous and robotic voice was not unheard by Paul and Miette. "Further fighting is irrelevant. Recommend opposition surrender to ensure safety of their Pokemon. Failure to do so will be met with hostility. And extreme power."

"Don't give them a way out, Beta." Sierra told him, her cruel grin showing her pristine white teeth. "Knocking them out is much more fun."

"Aggron, Iron Tail!" Paul commanded in a last ditch assault of defiance.

"Meteor Mash."

"Zap Cannon!"

Aggron charged at its opponents, only to be met by a fierce combination attack, sending it skidding across the ground, back to where it started. The damage was done, and it had severally injured Paul's Aggron. The battle was done.

* * *

"Well that ended... Abruptly." The same meeting place as before, Psi made a comment about the battles earlier that day. He scanned through each competitor, looking at each of their Pokemon and their moves.

"Clarify." Beta instructed.

"Well, I was referring to all the matches." Psi muttered. "But mostly..."

"Who cares, really?" Sierra asked. She was leaned against a wall, lighting a cigarette. Easily far too young to smoke, but she didn't care. She was bored out of her mind. Striking the lighter twice, she eventually got a flame going, and shielded it from the rain again. She then took a very long inhale.

"Query. Those objects cause negative health to the human body. Why do you willingly inhale the fumes of nicotine, tar, rat poison and other such unhealthy products?" Beta interrogated Sierra. He had a habit of doing this with things he did not understand, or saw as totally illogical.

"Gee, I dunno, maybe because you two are such great company." Sierra retorted back with thick sarcasm. "I've got freaking beep boop Beta the computer, Mr. Serious Psi who acts like the freaking masked vigilante of Lumiouse city with about ten times less extravagance, and you're asking me why I'm lighting a cigarette?" She then inhaled and then loudly declared, "Because I'm bored out of my god damned skull!"

"Acknowledged." Was all Beta would say after that.

"Aaargh!" Sierra loudly declared in frustration. "You're driving me insane!"

"Enough!" Psi slammed his fist into the side of the nearest metallic wall, causing the sounds and clang to shut both his companions up. "This is not even remotely relevant to the cause here. Shut up, both of you, or I'll have to report this to Zeta."

"An efficient idea." Beta agreed. "I agree with this course of action."

Psi nodded at Beta. The more he knew Beta, the more he was growing to like him in a weird sort of way. He didn't let insults or bias get in the way of doing his job. Psi could respect that.

Sierra made a dismissive grunt noise, but kept quiet. She hated admitting fault. In any sort of manner.

"Have we confirmed our targets?" Psi asked Beta.

"The loss of the majority of competitors was an unexpected negative side effect. In retrospect, actions taken may have been too efficient, causing intimidation to the general populace. Our targets have been severally reduced. However, extensive analytical information would suggest that the individuals whom have stayed are ideal targets nonetheless." Beta replied, holding up s holographic device, skimming through the remaining competitors. "An additional match was held earlier today to determine which group of an odd number would challenge an already finalist opponent. They faced Sierra and I. They lost. Records indicate a high level of bravado and unwarranted arrogance. Pokemon weak. Unsuitable." He then brought up the competitors, and deleted the, from his files, a beep noise emerged from the device, and then their images were gone. "Unsuitable targets."

"And the actual finalists?" Sierra asked, leaning over Beta's shoulder to see the list of trainers left. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at the list of candidates, seeing who was left. "What about that Kantoean?"

"He seems suitable." Psi commented simply. His hood still hid his face, but Sierra swore she saw a frown or something there. There was a reaction, that was certain. that seemed to be the first reaction she had seen from him that wasn't anger or seriousness. It... Interested her.

"The Kantoean. Ash Ketchum. Kanto Native. Like myself. Age, 17. Competed in six regional tournaments, placing in the high end of the tournaments each time consistently. Impressive track record. High win/loss ratio. Experienced."

"Not to mention, he's not hard on the eyes..." Sierra commented. Couldn't deny that, despite how much see felt this sort of annoyance towards him.

"Irrelevant." Beta commented.

"You're a buzz kill, you know that, Beta?"

"Focus." Psi reminded them. "Do we think he's a suitable target?"

Beta looked at Psi. For the first time, an eerie smile appeared on his usually vacant face.

"Affirmative."

* * *

Ash was stunned that Paul had been completely knocked out of the tournament. Paul was one of the strongest trainers he knew, and he had been completely knocked out by the terror duo. Miette and Paul's Pokemon, although badly injured, were not damaged even close to the extent the previous victims had been. Arceus had to be thanked for that.

"I guess that's that." Paul had said while he watched the surgery on his Aggron being performed. His eyes closed as he watched, relaxed, and sighing. "Aggron did good work." He had heard from Nurse Joy that these injuries, while they looked bad, and while the effects were worse than they looked, it wasn't anything to worry about. Injuries like this happened all the time. While they were still harsh injuries, Aggron would make a recovery.

"You okay?" Ash had asked, concerned. Despite the two not really being technically friends, he did care about Paul's well being. He didn't think Paul was a bad person. He had definitely improved in his treatment of his Pokemon. He was more relaxed, but still intense at the same time.

"I'm okay." He said, not taking his eyes off of Aggron. "You sure that you can win tomorrow? It's you and the blonde girl against those two."

"Serena." Ash said, somewhat firmly. "Not 'The blonde girl'. Her name is Serena." It was only after he had said this that he realized just how protective of Serena he had become. Paul had been told her name. He had no reason to give her such a dismissive name like that. The fact he had angered him, more than it should have.

"I forgot it. Sorry." Paul said, defensively.

Ash relaxed and sighed, looking at Paul's Aggron again. He had to remember, Paul did have a Pokemon in intensive care right now. He needed to remember that. He used his sigh as an emotional rest. Why had he gotten so upset by that? Focusing on the question he had asked, Ash replied, in a much softer voice. "I'm gonna give it my best shot, you can be sure about that."

"Will that be enough?" Paul asked. When Ash looked at him again, he explained. "Since I last saw you in Sinnoh, I've done lots of traveling, lots of training. I've been thinking. Considering. That sort of thing. I know how you think. Never giving up. Admirable... But is that gonna be enough against these two?"

Ash nodded in understanding. Paul made sense. But... "That's all I can do."

Paul sighed again. "I guess that is true." He watched Nurse Joy work on his Aggron. The Steel type was resting now, looking rather peaceful. The Steel type behemoth was fast asleep. Miette and her Pokemon would be in another work space. He then looked at Ash again. "I must admit, I would have enjoyed battling you again."

Ash grinned himself. "We could still have that battle. I could do with some practice."

"Perhaps." Paul said with a small chuckle. It was in that moment Ash noticed just how much Paul had lightened up. He would have dismissed Ash a few years ago, or he would have had to be in the mood to totally crush him. Now he had a sort of back and forth attitude with Ash. He wondered if they actually were friends or not. "But... Not right now."

Ash was puzzled, and asked, "Why not?"

"I want to check on that Miette girl. See if she's okay. Her Pokemon took a heavy beating."

Ash couldn't help but smile.

"What?"

"Nothing."


	16. Remorse

There was a certain type of excitement hanging over everyone over the next day. The match ups had been over, and in spite of the huge let-down of over half the tournament being cancelled, the half that was left had gone from strength to strength. Confident, and mostly experienced trainers who knew what they were doing, and knew how to work in a team. The ones who possessed powerful Pokémon, amounted vast knowledge and resourcefulness, and accumulated huge amounts of strategies and battle plans were left. They were the ones who still felt they could defeat the entire tournament, and claim victory. The majority had failed.

The fights up to this point had been very intense and action paced. High paced action and hard hitting battling. Each match had been a nail biter, but that all ended today.

This was the finals.

They had come along a lot quicker than anyone had really expected, but they were here now. And it was an honestly, heavily anticipated match. Ash and Serena had proven themselves to be very competent battlers, and a very competent team. If anyone was able to defeat the most feared team in the entire tournament. Beta and Sierra had taken on every team thrown at them without even breaking a sweat. Their Pokémon seemed to have never even taken damage, and had barely even been hit by an opponent's strike. The two sides were about to hit each other head on.

The untouchables versus the unbeatables.

* * *

"Nervous?"

"Yeah."

"Worried?"

"Yeah."

"Confident?"

Serena nodded. "We can beat them."

Ash grinned. "Absolutely we can."

The two were in the waiting area before they would be called up to battle, and the two were psyching themselves up for the battle. They could do this, there was no question about it. It would be difficult. It would be a tough fight. And there was every possibility they could lose. But they could win.

Remembering back when he first time encountered Sierra and Beta, Ash gritted his teeth lightly. They were dangerous, Ash had no doubt about that. But they weren't infallible. They had to have weaknesses. Ash glanced at his Pikachu, which was a bit further down the tunnel, peering outside and looking at the crowd before either trainers did. Ash intended to use his partner for this battle. He'd have to hope that their opponents didn't decide to use a Ground type.

It was likely their battling was going to be absolutely barbaric again. It was a ruthless, brutal, and efficient strategy, but above all, it worked. It worked ridiculously well. They had barely even called out commands in their previous battles. They were so efficient, and utterly savage, they hadn't needed to.

"This is gonna be a tough fight, huh?" Serena said, reading Ash's thoughts. His eyes had narrowed, and his teeth had gritted. It wasn't difficult to read what he was thinking. She had known him for a while. She knew what he was like.

"Yeah." Ash said. He was excited for the battle, but he was racking his brain for a strategy. He knew none of their weaknesses, and they had no particular strengths that would work against the kind of Pokémon they used. From a strategic standpoint, they were at a disadvantage. It was a fairly large disadvantage, as they had nothing they could use to their advantage in the slightest.

"We can win." Serena said, reminding him of the same words he had been telling her for a long time. Those same words of inspiration hit Ash as he formulated his battle plan. He shifted his attention back to her.

Ash smiled at her again. "Yeah. Sorry. I'm just going through strategies in my head." He trailed off slightly. "Not too well."

"I remember you just taking things as they came." Serena said with a smile, noticing Ash's maturity.

"Maybe that'll work here." Ash commented with a smile.

Serena laughed lightly. "Maybe."

The two were interrupted by a small green light on the side of the wall flashing. That was the call up. It meant that the battles were about to begin. Both Ash and Serena looked at this light, and then at each other. This was it. It was time to fight.

Ash grinned. "Here we go." He then held out a hand for Serena to grab hold of. 'Regardless of we win or not, I'm glad she's the one with me.'

Serena smiled at him and accepted it. Ash pulled her gently from the wall she was leaning on, and brought their joined hands just below their eyes direct vision. Looking at him, his determined and ready face, Serena felt her own determination growing. It didn't matter if they lost. But she'd put everything into it. "Right."

Letting go of her hand, but not losing eye contact, they shared these silent words, and then broke off, ready to be called up. Knowing they didn't have to worry about the other, they could give it their all. Just like always.

 **"Ladies, gentlemen, children, small Pokémon, big Pokémon, and all, although we have arrived here much sooner than we all expected to, we are finally here at the finals to our third annual tag team tournament!"** They both heard the announcer's voice boom over them, even from inside these areas. The speaker in the inside was loud, but at least this way they wouldn't miss their calling card. Pikachu ran back, up to Ash and hopped upon his shoulder. His partner Pokemon was also ready.

 **"In spite of the upset of more than half our contestants dropping out, we have had some very exciting battles here over the last few days! We've had plenty of high paced action that we've come to expect, but now, we can begin the battle everyone here has been waiting for. The best trainers of the current contest!"**

With that statement, Ash had to wonder, was this the best of the selection? The majority had dropped out. He fully expected there were some people who were far better than he was that had dropped out for the sake of their Pokemon. He suspected it was possible he wouldn't be here if they hadn't dropped out. But that didn't matter. He was here. Serena was here. They weren't.

 **"One of our teams here this year has proven to be ruthless and powerful trainers whom leave nothing to chance and use the some of the most powerful Pokemon seen this year, we have Sierra and Beta!** " Despite the reputation these two had acquired, there was actually some cheering that could be heard. People whom clearly had no idea of the extent of damage and ruthlessness that these two operated by. No mercy, nor prisoners. And they were being cheered for. Ash felt a tinge of annoyance at this.

The green light now held a solid light green color. That was the signal for the tag team to make their way onto the battlefield. Once again, they shared a glance. And then, they made their way onto the battlefield, accompanied by the announcer's introduction for the two of them. The voice boomed, sending tickling vibrations throughout Ash's system.

 **"And our second team has some of the fastest and most impressive teamwork seen all tournament, and have withstood some of the toughest battles we've seen all tournament, we have Ash and Serena!"**

Briefly blinded by the light upon stepping out into the stadium, this time, there was a cheer. A very, very loud one. It wasn't hard to figure out from this that Ash and Serena were the fan favorites. There was a huge rapturous applause for the two of them, cheering, shouting, a few people even made small banners for the two of them. While Beta and Sierra's had been loud, Ash and Serena's was deafening. Ash found himself smiling once again. So there were a few idiots cheering for those two maniacs. So what? These people cheering right now, they knew that Beta and Sierra needed to be taken down, and they were cheering on for Ash and Serena to make that happen. Their applause was loud, and didn't stop, even when Ash and Serena had reached their battle stations.

Opposing them, there stood the two of them. Beta and Sierra. The two stood as they always did before they started battling, although the two were very different.

Beta stood fairly upright, like a solider stood to attention, and remained like that, unflinching. Perfect posture. He stood with his chest puffed up, but not with any sort of pride. He had roughly the same amount of emotions as a brick wall did. Mirroring that, his face was totally blank. No expression whatsoever, and there barely even seemed to be one of boredom or neutrality. It was just a cold, clean, slate of utter uncaring. It seemed unlikely at this point, that his expression would change even if a tsunami came crashing down from above the stadium. And he remained this way, only occasionally moving to adjust his smart glasses. His arms flopped at his sides, dangling, completely without care for where they ended up. Ash begun to wonder, was this person really a robotic individual? As in, literally speaking. Was he a robot? Ash really couldn't rationalise this guy in any other way.

Next was Sierra. Hers was the diametrical opposite of her partners. Her very stance was full of expression. Her head was tilted towards her left, and she seemed to put the majority of her weight onto her left side. Her left leg was straight up, while her right leg was weaker, and outstretched. Her left arm was on her hip too. She allowed her dark hair to flow with the breeze. Her gaze was firmly focused on Ash, her eyes narrowed, and she had a smile on her face. Confident, arrogant, and sure of herself. She was going to wipe the floor with Ash. Not only did she have the capability to do so, she knew she had such abilities, and thought absolutely nothing of using them to obliterate the Kantoean.

From what Ash had seen from the two, he felt a certain animosity towards them. They showed no quarter, and didn't think anything of hurting other Pokémon if it meant they could get what they wanted. It was a fundamental clashing of beliefs. Ash couldn't imagine doing any of what these two had done to a Pokémon, unless he, his friends, or his Pokémon's lives were in direct danger, and even then, he would be hesitant. He liked to find alternate solutions. Even faced with a 'do or die' situation, Ash would hesitate. He remembered the Lucario he had attacked on the Iron Islands in Sinnoh. There had been no alternative, yet he wavered. In comparison, Beta and Sierra didn't even look for alternatives. They seemed to do this for fun. Because it ensured victory.

No victory was worth the injuries these two administered. Ash would never believe otherwise.

 **"This is the finals for the tournament, so whomever wins this match will be crowned the champion of the Castle!"** A loud cheer erupted once again. **"The rules are the very same as the previous matches. One Pokémon per trainer, and two Pokémon per team. You are allowed to command your partners Pokémon should you decide the need has come for it. Remember, as seen in this tournament, this can be an advantage or a hindrance. The battle is over when both sides of one team are unable to continue."**

Ash nodded to himself, recalling the rules, refreshing his memory. There didn't seem to be much reaction from Beta and Sierra. 'What are they gonna do?...'

The announcer made his finishing conclusions. **"If there are no questions...** " Silence. There were none. Instead, the two teams stared at one another, glaring almost. Like they were exchanging silent insults.

"Actually, we do have a question." Sierra suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence, tension, and everything else that had been built up, replacing it with intrigue. "Well, less of a question, and more of an offer." Sierra then turned to Beta, whom took a step forward.

"We intend to deliver to you a warning." He said, monotoned. He didn't even try to make his voice sound persuasive or intimidating. He just spoke. In some ways, knowing Beta, that was even more intimidating. "We intend to obliterate you. Without mercy, nor compassion. We shall be ruthless. Statistical evidence concludes that the trainers whom enter these tournaments are unfit and unprepared to face true brutality present in the evolutionary trial. Empirical evidence indicates that you are not either. Subjects have exhibited weakness, shock, and other such emotions that prevent them from their priorities. You are no different. However, we are. We will win. And you shall lose. The fight is irrelevant. The conclusion has already been decided. It is impossible to change the evidence in your favor."

"Take a little longer, Beta." Sierra muttered, sarcastically. "Please. I'm loving hearing you drone on." She then walked past Beta, whom made no effort to stop her, of even look at her as she did so, and spoke up. "Surrender, and we won't rip you to shreds." She presented it bluntly, and without sugar-coating a single thing. Her smile spread, showcasing her snow white teeth. Her eyes narrowed, like an Arbok's. She on the other hand, was trying to intimidate the Kantoean and Kalosian.

"A simplified, yet accurate statement." Beta said, nodding his agreement. "Surrender, and we will cause no harm to your Pokemon." Beta took a step back, to his original standing point.

"Disagree..." Sierra said, and her smile grew crueler, more sadistic. "Please. That's more fun for me."

"Well she's... Interesting." Ash muttered to himself, raising an eyebrow at the odd smile the opposing girl was giving them. He glanced at Serena to see her response. There hadn't been a need. She was already looking at him with a smile on her face. Ash returned the same grin, mirroring her own determination and willingness to fight. The days leading up to this battle had been tense for them all, but now they were here, they knew what everyone who had faced them felt. A strong compulsion to wipe the smirks off these two's faces.

"No deal!" Ash loudly declared, which was met with a huge cheer from the crowds, chanting them on, sending their support on with the Kantoean trainer, whom stood defiant of these two dangers.

"Brilliant." Sierra smiled to herself, stepping back to her battle position. She actually seemed genuinely happy that they had declined. She was an odd person, Ash thought to himself.

Without even waiting for the announcer to declare the rounds start, Sierra threw out her Pokemon of choice, spinning the Pokeball on the tips of her fingers. "Magnezone, get prepared." Her Pokeball spun as it released her dreaded Electric type Pokemon, letting out a series of robotic calls as it exited its Pokeball.

"Muk." Was all Beta said, as he threw his Pokeball into the battlefield, with a back handed throw. The Pokeball released the Poison type sludgy Pokemon, unceremoniously. It laid there, and then it made its way into a form of some description, but it made no cry. Instead, its eyes narrowed on its trainers opponents. This Muk was the one that had suffocated a Garchomp inside its sludgy body. There was no doubt it would try that again.

Next up, it was Serena's turn to call upon her Pokemon. Her choice hadn't been the most original one, but it was definitely the most practical given the opponents. She had called upon her Braixen once again. With its combination of Psychic and Fire moves, it was the ideal Pokemon to fight Muk and Magnezone. Braixen was a pretty tough Pokemon, but Ash wondered if it was going to be able to stand up to these immensely powerful Pokemon.

Ash then turned to face his Electric type partner, and then smiled and extended his arm to the battlefield. "Alright Pikachu, let's do this!" He called, grinning when his partner ran down the length of his arm and leaped into the battlefield, his cheeks letting off static charges as he prepared to fight. Pikachu would be much better suited to battling Muk, there wasn't any doubt of that. Logically speaking anyway. As established, logic seemed to be a secondary thing when it came to Sierra and Beta.

The outcome was never predictable.

"Thunder!" Sierra called the first move towards her Electric/Steel type Pokemon, which let out a similar series of cries before gathering the static charge needed, and unleashing it upon the enemies side of the field. There was no particular target, but the force of the Thunder was so strong, it simply attacked anything that had a magnetic charge, without the need for a target to aim at. Both of the opponents had this charge.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower!" Serena told her Fire type quickly. Braixen used this attack to defend itself from the incoming static charge. In thanks to its training as a performer, Braixen left trails of fire around it, covering it from the strikes of electricity. Reflexes that hadn't been apparent to Ash since seeing Serena again had never called for were made apparent in the Fire type.

Pikachu was able to use its speed to dodge the bulks of the attacks. Being an Electric type however, Pikachu was able to store some of the static charge it felt crackling in the air around it to help charge up its own attacks. Pikachu's cheeks let loose a few more sparks once again.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded his partner Pokemon. The static charge flew around Pikachu's body as the attack was called, and was fired directly at the Muk Pokemon that had sat in the same spot the entire battle, caring little for what was going on. The attack was a direct hit, and aside from a slight look of shock, the Poison type seemed unaffected. It had done damage. Just barely anything at all.

"Use Sludge Bomb on Braixen." Beta ordered coldly. His Poison type complied, quickly, ruthlessly, and without hesitation. The strike was quick. Before Serena or Braixen's reflexes could kick in, the attack had already collided, with speed and force, against Braixen. The strike had easily knocked Braixen off its feet, and past Serena, into the wall, faster than the blonde Kalosian could even follow with her eyes.

With a loud howl, Braixen collided with the wall, bouncing off it, and falling to the ground. While not knocked out, the Fire performer had suffered extensive damage, and needed a moment to regain its footing. The whole world was spinning for Braixen. It couldn't focus at all. But it didn't have the luxury of being able to recover. Their opponents showed no such mercy.

Sierra's cruel smirk came to show once more as she called out her next attack. "Magnezone, target the opponents Braixen, and give it a taste of up close Thunder!" Her Pokemon sped towards the injured Fire type without even a moment's hesitation, already charging up the electrical energy for its attack. This method of attacking had been seen before. Against the poor Blastoise they had seen before. "Don't hold back." Sierra added. She didn't even attempt to hide her sadistic intentions.

"Braixen, get up!" Serena ordered her Fire type, trying to regain control of the situation. "You need to focus, quickly! Use Flamethrower again!"

Braixen stumbled, but attempted to attack nonetheless. While the fire generated, and Braixen was able to cast the attack, it was unable to focus its attack to hit its target. Magnezone was easily able to avoid the fire attack approaching it without having to change its trajectory much. Magnezone was able to reach Braixen, and the electricity started flowing quickly.

"Braixen!"

"Pikachu, Iron Tail, hurry!" Ash commanded quickly. "Defend Braixen!"

Ash's Pikachu utilized its speed to the maximum it could bring itself to run, already preparing the Steel type attack against the Steel/Electric type. Pikachu closed the gap between it and the Magnezone quickly, and jumped directly in between the powerful Steel Type and the vulnerable Fire type, and slammed its tail directly into the main eye that Magnezone used, canceling its powerful Thunder. While it was not a very effective hit, the location of the strike had hurt the opponent Pokemon, and saved Braixen. Magnezone floated back, its eyes closed, in some pretty clear pain.

"Quickly!" Ash yelled towards Serena. "If we move quickly, we could take out Magnezone right now!" Ash turned to his Pokemon, and called out a command as loud as he could. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt, full power!"

Serena quickly understood Ash's thinking. Magnezone was injured, blinded, and paying little attention to its already rather weak defense. A combination attack sent with the two of their Pokemon could lead to a head start advantage. It may not take out the metallic monster, but it would at least out them in a good starting point. Serena immediately looked towards her trusted Fire type. Still staggering, but now it could comprehend its surroundings, and had mostly recovered. On its feet, still unable to stand up without wobbling over, but it would be able to launch an accurate attack. "Braixen, focus your Fire Blast at Magnezone!"

Braixen was still unable to move in a straight line, but it could focus an attack while standing still just fine. Charging up a high concentration of its hottest and brightest fires, Braixen spun its wand in a circle, forming the basis of the attack, before using its pyrokinetic abilities to send the hottest fires straight at the Magnezone. The attack met alongside Pikachu's Thunderbolt, forming an electrical fire combination. The Fire Blast rippled with raw electricity, jumping and conducting between the atoms of the flame, charging off the flame.

The strike battered the opposing Magnezone, whom was sent flying back to its side of the field. The searing strike of the Fire Blast combined with the jolting electrical energy of the Thunderbolt combined to create an attack that ripped apart Magnezone defenses like it was wrapping paper, inside and out. But say what you liked about Beta, Ash thought, but her arrogance wasn't completely misplaced. Manipulating the electro-magnetic fields it rode upon however, it still hovered in the air. Despite such a thoroughly ruthless attack, Magnezone was still capable of fighting. Regardless, the crowd cheered for the direct strike to Magnezone. It was the first hit in the entire tournament that had actually caused visible damage to the combination of Beta and Sierra. Ash felt a jolt of pride, both in himself and in Serena.

"Ooh, the cute boy can fight~" Sierra said to herself, placing her hand above her heart, like a sort of royal damsel in distress. Her comment seemed directed at Ash, which threw him off slightly.

"Uh..." He made a sort of noise, he wasn't even sure what it was. "That's... Creepy." He shook his head and refocused himself on the conflict at hand. The conflict he had to win. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball on Magnezone!" Ash called out, slamming the air with his fist as he issued his command.

His Pikachu wasted no time, and before the electricity had even looked like it had been formed, it was already speeding towards the Magnezone. The hovering Pokemon looked up at the attack, just before the two collided. The strike let out an explosion covering Magnezone in smoke. Still in the battle, Magnezone hovered out on the magnetic fields, still letting out calls.

"He can fight very well~" Sierra commented again to herself.

"Affirmative." Beta replied, stone cold. He had spent the last few turns analyzing the match, his opponents battling styles. He was gathering intelligence in how to soonest and most efficiently eradicate his enemy. Despite not having seen to have done much, unbeknownst to anyone, Beta had been secretly calling out moves. Moves that would help his Muk annihilate the opposition.

"Speaking of, you plan on helping any time, Beta?!" Sierra snapped at her partner, disrupting his thoughts.

He recollected them in a matter of seconds. "Muk's attacks would be ineffective. Attacking is a hindrance."

"You freaking cop out!" Sierra spat at him, actually enraged with her opponent. He just sat there, calm, collected while she was taking a beating like this! "Magnezone, use Magnet Bomb!"

Silver spheres formulated from the iron in the nearby ground. The tiny traces of metallic atoms in the surrounding area formulated into the spheres, and were fired at speed towards Pikachu and Braixen. They were easily avoided, but the impact they made into the ground shook the field. Had they made direct co tact, the result would have been devastating.

"Okay, that does it!" Sierra snapped again. "Muk, use -"

"Unless you desire loss in this conflict, do not attempt to command my Pokemon." Beta said simply, but firmly. "Focus on your skirmish. Muk shall come into play when required."

Sierra gritted her teeth, but knew better than to anger Beta. Reluctantly, despite her rage at Beta essentially throwing her to the wolves, but she knew that he knew what he was doing.

After all, he had never lost a battle in his entire life.

"Magnezone, Zap Cannon!" Sierra gave her order, and it was obeyed, with Magnezone already wielding a ball of pure electrical power. Firing it at the opponents, Pikachu had to react quickly. Once the Zap Cannon sphere had come close enough, Pikachu skidded to the side, by a mere centimeter, skidding on the ground, and slide the attack in half with a well-placed Iron Tail attack, decimating the attack.

"Braixen, use Flamethrower!" Serena ordered.

"Iron Defense!" Sierra commanded. She hated being on the defensive, but it was that or be knocked out altogether, and face Beta's one terrifying emotion – Wrath.

A collision of moved left Mangezone weakened, but still in the game. However, its resistance was failing it. It was struggling to ride the magnetic waves around it, showing it was struggling to stay afloat. Magnezone was good for maybe a couple more attacks, but after that, it would be impossible to keep up the fight alone like this.

"Beta, how's your plan coming?" Sierra asked her partner, whom has still not even slightly moved, or even reacted in this entire battle. From the time Sierra had known him, Beta only did this when he would show no mercy. He fully intended to wipe out the opponents Pokémon. Without a shred of mercy.

"Weaken the opposition even at the cost of Magnezone. Victory is already assured." Beta commented simply. "Taking additional measures now."

"Got it..." Sierra muttered. "Magnezone, Use Thunder, and eradicate the enemy!" She yelled with her cruel smile in play as Magnezone complied with her command. The Thunder attack and the lightning accompanying it hit both its targets before either knew it was coming. Pikachu was able to withstand it well. Braixen however, was hit for huge damage. A howl of pain erupted throughout the battlefield, as the cheering in the audience stopped altogether now. The electrical attack lasted for roughly only twenty seconds, but to Serena, it was like watching a horror movie in slow motion.

"Braixen!"

Once the attack was over, Braixen fell to its knees. While not as badly damaged as the other Pokémon throughout the tournament, it was still a lot of damage done. Enough to render Braixen to the Pokémon center, for at least a few hours. Serena returned her Fire type partner quickly. "You did a great job, Braixen. I'm so proud..." She then turned to Ash, meekly, and somewhat upset. "Ash, I'm sorry, but..."

"Pikachu, Iron Tail on Magnezone!" Ash commanded in an act of pure defiance. His Pikachu, also angry with their weakened opponent, needed no reminder. Using its fastest speed, Pikachu found itself above the floating Magnezone, It's Iron Tail attack already primed. The Steel Type opponent looked up, to see a falling yellow mouse Pokemon slam a Steel type move into it's eye for a second time, but this time with such momentum carried into its steel body, Magnezone was sent flying, into the ground, completely unable to move. Knocked out from the competition completely. The crowd cheerered once again. This was the first time one of the terror two's Pokemon had been taken out.

Sierra looked at her Pokemon in a shocked disbelief, but acceptance nonetheless. She returned her synthetic Pokemon without a word, and glared at the Pokeball. She required it to her belt, and looked at a still calm and collected partner. "Beta, this had better be worth it."

"Muk has been using Stockpile through the conflict. Defenses, high. Resilience, maximum. Exporting firepower, 100%." Beta replied to his partner. "Muk. Use Spit up."

Muk became taller all of a sudden. Taller than Beta, than Sierra, and began to gather all of the power that it could muster. Ash, Serena, and Pikachu stared at this occurring in disbelief. From Muk's mouth and eyes, a white glow outshone them, making it look like Muk had been possessed by a demonic monster. The power was so pure, it was blinding. Ash knew the result here. If Pikachu was hit, this would be game over.

"Pikachu, run!"

"Fire."

The unrestricted release of pure energy was blinding. No one actually saw the attack connect, but the shock-waves were felt throughout the entire battlefield, and the audience, whom all had to cover their eyes to defend themselves from the shining light and the debris. Never before had such a move, with such raw, unrelenting energy been seen in the tournaments history. It was like a bomb had been set off in the middle of the field. Ash and Serena were battered by small chunks of debris. Beta stood calmly behind his Muk, observing the damage, adjusting his glasses.

Once the light had faded, the remarkable truth had been made clear. Pikachu, though heavily injured, and unable to move, was still standing. The entire stadium fell silent, in awe of this Pikachu's pure resilience. It was one thing to unleash such an attack. Another thing to withstand it.

Beta, however, didn't miss a beat. "Suffocate it."

The lumbering Muk made its way towards Pikachu, whom attempted to generate some electricity in its cheeks, albeit to no avail at all. All Pikachu could do is watch as Muk prepared to take It into its suffocation trap, like it had Garchomp a few days ago. Pikachu tightly sealed its eyes shut.

"Stay away!"

Pikachu's eyes remained shut for a few seconds, until it realized, it was not being absorbed. Risking a peek, Pikachu looked at Muk. Instead, It saw Ash.

Ash had thrown himself in between his partner Pokemon and Muk.

Serena's heart leapt out in a second, calling out her friend, her love's name. "Ash!"

"Muk, stop!" Sierra ordered in that second.

Well trained and responsive, Muk backed away. It slowly made its way to its side of the field, by its master. Bet made no movements. Sierra could tell he was not pleased.

"Sierra." Beta said quietly. "How does this action benefit us?"

"He's done." Sierra told him. "Just leave it at that."

"Mercy?" Beta inquired. He showed no emotion, like always, but this wasn't an emotion. This was curiosity. "Such a concept is unheard of in Sierra, the Savage. Explain."

Sierra looked towards Ash, whom was being tended to by Serena right now. "You wouldn't understand."

Beta said nothing in response. "Referee." He instead called out. "I suggest you call this match. The outcome is clear. Further conflict will lead only to injury. We shall claim no responsibility for those injuries should this match continue."

The referee seemed to agree, and as such, rose the red flag. "The battle is concluded. The victors of the third Annual Revolution Castle tournament are: Beta and sierra!"

Despite the earlier cries, no one cheered this time.

* * *

"Both your Pokemon have made good recoveries, however, I feel it best that they stay with me overnight." Nurse joy informed Ash and Serena, with a smile on her face. Their injuries had not been as severe as the other opponents Sierra and Beta had fought. Garchomp was still in intensive care. "I would like to administer a healing agent which should help them in making a complete recovery overnight."

"That's fine, Nurse Joy." Ash said. "Thank you very, very much."

Nurse Joy bowed and went back to her duties, leaving Ash and Serena sat alone. The mood had been melancholy somewhat, but they didn't feel sorry for themselves, and the news their Pokémon were okay had lifted both their spirits up. While that wasn't the main concern for Serena, although it had been a very big one, Ash sighed in relief. "Thank God for that."

"Ash..." Serena started, but instead she sighed. "You idiot..."

"Huh?" Ash raised a surprised eyebrow at Serena's insult just then. "What the – What did I do?"

Serena tightened her firsts, and had to resist the urge to slap Ash in the face. She was shaking, fighting not bursting into tears. "I thought I'd lost you..."

"Serena?..."

"Don't you remember?" Serena asked loudly, looking at Ash. There were tears in her eyes, not spilling into her cheeks quite yet, but if she merely coughed, that would probably send them off. "When you first came back to Kalos... We talked about the Garchomp you saved on the first time you were here... And how I thought you would be gone..." Serena sniffled, forcing herself not to cry. "But today... you could have... Left again..."

Ash knew what it was now. When he moved in to save Pikachu, he hadn't really been thinking about his own safety. He was only concerned about his Pokémon. The kind, soft hearted Kalosian girl was crying because she thought Ash could have left her then, today, right in front of her, while she couldn't have done a thing about it. She would have had to watch Ash suffocate...

"...I'm sorry, Serena..." Ash said, putting his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her. The tears that had built up in her eyes now flowed down her cheek freely, despite Serena trying to hold them in as much as she possibly could. Ash then did something bold. He hugged Serena tightly, holding her close, reassuring her as best her could. It didn't mean much, Ash thought, but it might help her in a small way. That was all he hoped for. "I'm so sorry, Serena..."

Ash's loyalty to his Pokémon had been something Serena had always loved about him. Not admitted, loved. She knew that that was one thing she could say she loved about Ash Ketchum, without needing to qualify that statement. But his loyalty almost made her lose him... She tightly returned the hug, burying her face in Ash's shoulder.

"It's okay... It's okay..." Ash kept saying, trying to comfort the crying girl he had in his arms the best he could. Seeing her cry like this... Felt like a dagger in Ash's heart.

"I'm – I'm sorry..." Serena sniffled. "I shouldn't... I shouldn't... "

"Hey now, It's okay to cry." Ash told her softly, smiling at her. "It's alright, Serena... I'm the one who should be sorry... I didn't consider... How what happened to me might hurt you. Forgive me..."

"Ash..." Serena wanted to kiss him, right here, right now. Instead, she just hugged him again. I'm sorry... We lost..."

"Hey now, It's just a tournament. We made it to the finals. You and me, Serena. You and me. Me and you. I couldn't have made it that far without you as my partner. I should be thanking you, you shouldn't be apologizing at all."

Serena hugged him tightly once again.

* * *

"Tournament results, conclusive." Beta commented to Psi and Sierra as they hid in their usual spot. "Targets acquired. Ideology confirmed."

"Ideology implies there was a doubt about it." Psi said. "Synthetic Pokémon are the way forward. We just proved that."

"If they are, then why are we bothering with targets?" Sierra asked her group, biting her thumb until she hit the blood vessels underneath. The taste of iron filled inside her mouth.

"Classified." Beta said simply.

* * *

Ash had helped Serena get into her bed once she had become tired from all her crying. He smiled at her as she laid there, sleeping before she had even hit the pillow. She hadn't bothered to get changed, nor did he expect her to. She was utterly exhausted. Ash left her to her dreams after covering her in her duvet. He wished he sweet dreams before leaving.

Before that however, he looked at her, peacefully asleep already. He didn't know what compelled him to, but he leaned in to her, and planted a kiss gently on her cheek. Once he had pulled away, Serena had a silly smile on her face. Ash's heart throbbed for a second. Was she awake? He decided to leave before he found out. He used his hand as a fan and sighed. What has possessed him to do that?

The Kantoean made his way to his own room. Paul and Miette nowhere to be seen. Without anyone to speak to, Ash wanted to get some sleep himself. He reached into his bag to put away his belt of Pokeballs once again.

Looking inside, he found some papers. He raised an eyebrow. "What on Earth?..."

He pulled them out of his bag, and recognized them immediately. Professor Oaks papers.

The ones he had been asked to deliver once he got the Kalos.

"...Oh no."


	17. Anger

Considering it had already been a full week since arriving in Kalos, Ash was understandably concerned. He knew it wouldn't matter all that much, but he was still concerned that he hadn't delivered the papers. He had been so wrapped up in everything else, actually getting to Kalos, seeing Serena again, and such in such an eager mood to begin his traveling again...

Ash sighed. He had screwed up, big time.

'Okay, this is no big deal, I can sort this out.' Ash thought to himself, looking over the complicated dats he had helped compile over the two years. Flipping through it, he saw pictures used as material source, that he remembered. 'Okay, i can - I can just use one of those teleporters and send this stuff to Professor Sycamore that way. That should be fine.' Ash had always wondered why Oak hadn't ever sent his research through computerised methods. His explanation was that he had had bad experiences with teleporters before. Something about them ruining his data. As for not making everything on computers, Oak stated he simply preferred the feeling of writing everything in a more traditional manner, which was fair enough, Ash supposed. To each their own. But it had sending things very awkward. Like right now, for example. Then again, Ash didn't have much of a choice. Long range teleporters, he would be able to see where Oak was coming from. He had had issues with cross regional ones before. But an interregional one should be virtually flawless.

Gathering all the papers, flattening them, and getting out any of the crinkles, and ensuring they were in the correct order, Ash left his things and made his way downstairs. It was late, but not unreasonably so. It had just gone past 2200, or 10PM. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch to assume the Professor was still working. If Ash had learned anything about professors in his two years working with one, it was that they often got lost in their research. It wasn't uncommon for Ash to go to Oaks lab and find out he hadn't actually gone to sleep.

Ash quickly made his way down the stairs, jumping two or three steps at a time, making his way down as quickly as possible. He walked quickly, not quite running, but not quick walking either. More like a very quick pacing. While he knew it didn't matter too much if the papers were delivered today or tomorrow, he thought it would be the sooner the better. He passed some other trainers, headed the opposite way, whispering to themselves about something or other. Ash ignored them and carried on.

Turning into the room where he had held Serena not too long ago, he eyed around for the teleporting machines. His search was short lived, as he found them very quickly.

It was whom were using them that made Ash freeze in his tracks.

Beta and Sierra, the only two in the room. Ash figured that the trainers he had passed were leaving the room out of intimidation. It would be hard to blame them. The winners of the tournament had been absolute savages.

"Have you completed your objective?" The voice that was apparently on the phone they were using rung out. It was a very... Presenting voice, was the best way Ash could describe it. It told people in the room, this was the person talking. Pay attention to him.

"Affirmative." Beta replied, still stiffly uptight. "Objectives have been completed. Tournament victory achieved. Training exercise a success. Additional plans have been formulated."

"Marvellous."

Ash's eyes raised. A training exercise? Scanning the room, he saw Sierra and Betas bags. There were a few bits and pieces already out of their bags. And the trophy they had received for winning. On its side, unattended, nor any real care as to where it had landed. They had just tossed it aside, like a T-shirt they had won at a carnival fairground game that neither of them had any interest in. Like it was a travelling inconvenience.

"Beta, has Sierra been living up to expectations?" The voice asked. "Please, be as honest as possible. It is data that is valued by many, so I ask you to present the truth and nothing but."

Ash saw Sierra shoot Beta a worried glance. Whoever this person was, it was clear that Sierra was intimidated by them. They had power over her. While softly snd politely spoken, Ash felt that this wasn't much of a request. It was a demand of honesty.

"Attitude displeasurable. Arrogance unchecked. Authority respect, minimal. However, additional elements should be considered. Faith, expected levels. Battling, above average. Resilience, high. Priorities, followed. Orders, obeyed."

"What Is your opinion?"

"Satisfactory, sir." Beta acted like he was addressing some sort of drill sergeant, minus the uniform and saluting. He left his assessment of Sierra at that. Not a ringing endorsement, but not a negative one either.

"I suppose that will be acceptable." The voice said. "Very well. Keep up your excellent research. Remember, you're doing a good thing, for both humanity and for Pokemon. Wear that with pride."

With that, the call ended. Sierra seemed to let out a sigh of relief at that. She immediately sat on the nearest couch once it was done, and threw her head back, so she stared at the ceiling. "You... Really know how to keep someone on their toes, Beta."

"My endorsement was honest, and little else." Beta informed her, being as clear cit as he could. He showed absolutely no emotion in doing so. This wasn't anything new, but he seemed more forceful this time. Like he was getting tired of having to explain himself.

"Synthcorp needs to really work on their sales pitch..." Sierra sighed. Bringing her head back into its default place, is when she spotted Ash.

His first instinct was to hide, but that would only look more suspicious. Instead, he made it look like he had been walking in here anyway. Before Sierra could lock eyes with him, he walked into the room, like he had come straight from the corridor. "Oh." Was all he said. Even faking, he had nothing he wanted to say to these two after what they tried to do to his Pikachu. To everyones Pokemon.

"The cute Kantoian makes an entrance." Sierra comments, standing upright now, looking at Ash, scanning him. She noted the pile of papers he had in his hand, how close they seemed to be held against him. She knew they were as important to him as to whomever wrote them, immediately. Lots of work had gone in, probably work he had helped with over a long period of time.

"I was just... Trying to use on of the phones here. I didn't think anyone else would be here." While Ash was normally friendly, he made it as clear that he felt animosity to these people as he possibly could.

"How much did you hear?" Beta asked. Clear, cut, and demanding. Beta had called out his lie within a few seconds of conversation. Without any indicator. Apparently he was just amazing at reading people.

"Something about Synthcorp." Ash admitted. "Thats it."

"Know what Synthcorp is?" Sierra asked Ash. She had walked past the sofas and was now to his immediate left. She was a few meters away, but she was way too close for Ash's comfort.

"Never heard of them." Ash chuckled to himself. "What, you guys secret agents or something?"

"An accurate summary." Beta said, devoid of humour. Ash laughed to himself awkwardly for a few seconds, before the slap of reality hit him. Beta was serious. The two exchanged a stare for about seven seconds before Sierra ended the suspense.

"Synthcorp is a group based organisation that studies the effects of synthetic Pokemon." Sierra explained to Ash, her arms folded, and taking a serious expression, not at all like her expression on the battlefield. "We all go out and test out synthetic Pokemon to the absolute limit. We find the limits, and improve those limitations, to allow for even better usage. We keep doing this until there is absolutely no way for the Pokemon to go any further."

"Why?" Was all Ash asked. If they were telling the truth... They were far more innocent than Ash had originally suspected. But Ash had his doubts. Something about both of them seemed off. He found it especially hard to come to terms that Beta was doing this for a noble reason, never mind Sierra. And nothing, nothing could ever justify their barbaric battling style. No science was worth that.

"For research. For the future." Beta replied simply. "Improvement of Pokemon. Synthetic recreation. Restoration. Advancement. Evolution."

"Basically, we use Pokemon, all of which volunteer, by the way, we don't capture our own Pokemon, they come to us, and push them to the absolute brink. This tests their limits." Sierra explained. "That data can then be used to help our own technology advance. For example:" Sierra said, pointing at the nearest healing machine. "Synthcorp provided the technical data needed for that. We test the data on Pokemon, and it gets translated into raw mathematical data for industrial usage." It was clear to Sierra Ash barely understood what she had just explained, so she simplified it for him. "Pokemon help us better ourselves. Lets leave it at that."

"So how on Earth does entering a tournament help you gather data?" Ash questioned, with an eyebrow raised. He wasn't even attempting to hide is barely concealed scepticism. He had a clear distrust of both of these people, and he doubted that pushing Pokemon would gather them data. Despite that, he wanted to avoid a confrontation.

"We were testing a hypothesis." Beta stated. "We have confirmed the hypothesis. That is all that we are permitted to say." Beta spoke with such clear purpose, Ash didn't even consider trying to pry. He knew it would be absolutely pointless. Like trying to knock down a brick wall with a matchstick.

Ash nodded, and stepped to the side. He knew they were hiding something, but he didn't think he would find out by pressing it out of them. He moved to let them pass. Both trainers grabbed their equipment and left the room, Sierra stopped by Ash.

"You know, you could join us." She told Ash. "I could get used to seeing you all day." Since she was eye level with Ash, she was able to look him straight in the eye. Her arms folded as she looked at Ash. Her voice was inviting, and for once, she didn't seem like a sociopath.

"Sierra. Your attempts at flirting are both inefficient and ineffective." Beta said, without turning around. He didn't show any signs of surprise at all. Instead, he just kept walking down the corridor, knowing she'd catch up. His patience had worn out dealing with his fellow Kantoean, and he wasn't going to show the same patience to Sierra. "Rendezvous when available."

On the other hand, Sierra couldn't have cared less about Beta at that moment. Her attention was focused on Ash. Completely out of character for the people that knew her, Sierra was acting somewhat polite and patient. Actually attentive, and seemingly socially acceptable, as opposed to her taunting, teasing and bullying perviously. That aside, however, this was one of the easiest choices Ash ever made.

"No chance." Ash said, pretty much the second he was sure neither of them were talking. He couldn't deny the invitation fast enough. "I've got someone very special to me to stay close to."

"Call us if you change your mind." Sierra added, and then followed Beta, with what, she was gone. And Ash was left alone.

He let out a sigh. He was still exhausted after everything that had happened today, but he found himself even more tired now. He hadn't expected to run into those two again. Given their personalities, he had assumed they would have minute there was no one for them to battle. Their talk had confused him too... Just what were they a part of?...

Ash shook his head. Deciding that he had to deal with a more pressing matter for the moment, he walked over to the teleporter, and dialled in the Kalosian professors number. He was awaited by a connecting screen, and a buffer icon, that span in its own circles. The call took a few moments to connect, leaving Ash concerned for a second that the professor actually wasn't awake at all. That worry, however, was put to rest in just a few seconds.

"Hello?" The Professor's voice came through crackled, full of static and white noise as the call connected. After a few seconds, the feedback was cut, and the clear audio and visuals were apparent on screen. Professor Sycamore hadn't changed even slightly.

"Hello? Professor Sycamore?" Ash asked, peering into the visual display for a moment. Once it cleared up, he stood back.

"Ash? Is that you?" Sycamore looked confused for a few moments, before his face lightened up. "It is! Well this is certainly a surprise!"

"Been a while since we spoke, Professor Sycamore. A few months at least."

"It has indeed. I was under the impression you were working with Professor Oak now?" Sycamore smiled. During Ash's stay with Oak, he had spoken with Sycamore frequently, throughout various calls and conferences. It was to a point now where Sycamore respected Ash as a professor in his own right.

"That was a temporary thing. He wanted help with researching, and running the place for a while."

"What about that assistant of his?"

"Tracey?" Ash asked. "I think he went to stay at Cerulean City for a while."

"I see." Sycamore smiled. "Well, what can I do for you?"

Holding up the pile of papers in his hand, Ash revealed the notes. "Professor Oak wanted me to hand you these to look over. They're his notes on Mega evolution, and the evolution my Greninja undergoes occasionally. He wanted me to send them to you." Ash didn't mention that they were over a week late. That was the last thing he thought he should mention.

"Oh, I see." Sycamore said with interest. He was flipping some switches on his side of the teleporter, reading it for the transfer. "Okay, lets get this transfer started then."

Ash nodded and placed the paper on the teleporter. Flipping a few switches, and punching in an address, Ash readied his own. Sending the notes away felt weird to him. There went two years of hard work. In an instant. Like it was never there.

"Ready to transfer." Sycamore declared from his end, with an eager grin on his face.

"Sending." Ash said, hesitating for just a moment, before hitting the send key. The notes were enveloped in a bright, white light, before disappearing completely out of existence.

"Okay, this might take a short while." Sycamore said aloud, watching the transfer progress on his side. He turned his attention to Ash, his voice friendly. "So, how've you been?"

"Great! I've decided that I'm gonna stay in Kalos for a little while, go do a bit more exploring around here, that sort of thing. Next stop is the Igneous region." Ash told the professor happily. Now that the tournament was over, Ash could go back to his journeys, exploring the region with Serena.

"Sounds exciting. My lab is always open to you if you come our way." Sycamore invited kindly.

"Thanks. Ill be sure to come visit if I'm in Lumiose City." Ash replied thankfully. He then paused for a second, considering his next choice of words. "Professor, have you heard of a group called Synthcorp?"

The Professors bright expression suddenly became dark and serious. This didn't look like Sycamore anymore. This looked like someone fuelled with hate. "Ash. Exactly where did you hear that name?"

Ash was taken aback by the sheer tone Sycamore was using. Never had he seen him look like this, so angry, so livid. "I ran into two people who claimed to work for them. Ive kind of been out of the loop for a few years. Thats why I asked you."

"Ash, listen to me very carefully." Sycamore warned. "Stay away from them. They're a group dedicated to synthetic progression of humanity and Pokemon. The methods I've seen them use are..."

"Barbaric." Ash finished the sentence. He knew what the sentence would end as. He had seen their methods they used, their cruelty, their brutality. "I've seen them in action."

"They do just enough to get away with it legally. But its... Sickening." Sycamore said, visibly disgusted. "They cropped up around the time you left Kalos. From what Ive seen, they have a small number of members, but they all are very skilled and experienced trainers. Some of them have... Questionable psyches. All of them are dangerous. Stay away from them."

"No need to tell me twice, Professor. Thanks for the intel." Ash nodded. "Sorry. It looks like you have a history with them."

"Not particularly... But I hear things."

Ash nodded again. At that moment, a blinking red light caught his eye. It was the progress bar, signalling that the transfer was done. At the same time, a faint white light appeared in Sycamores screen. The documents had arrived. Sycamores darker expression lightened when he sae this, and he took ahold of the documents. "Transfers finished!"

"Is it all there?" Ash asked, worried for a second that some would be lost in transfer.

"Looks to be."

"All four hundred - and - eighty - two?"

"Four hundred and -..." The Kalosian professor flipped through the handwritten notes, noting the page number with each. "Indeed Ash. All pages and notes are accounted for."

Ash sighed in relief. "Thank God."

"Ill make sure to start looking through these in the morning." The Kalosian said, skimming the pages.

"Did I stop you from sleeping?" The Kantoean asked, his voice full of apology.

"No, no. You called at the perfect time, in fact. I was about the turn pff and go to sleep, so you caught me at the perfect time." Sycamore replied with a hearty laugh and a smile.

Ash smiled back meekly. The thoughts of Sierra and Beta were behind him now. But he knew for the future, be weary of them.

* * *

Ash threw himself onto his bed with a loud sigh. He was exhausted beyond belief. The entire day had been one long mental hike through treacle. It had been one long battle after another, both mentally and physically. The battle had been fierce, brutal, and neither side showed a shred of mercy. They had defended each other, and followed each other into battle, and had fought until the very end. Ash wasn't upset though. He had done his best in the battle, and had absolutely no regrets about it. Well, one.

He regretted making Serena cry.

Doing what he had, It had been a heat of the moment thing. His Pokemon, his friend, was in danger, and Ash had to do something. But sitting there and watching it happen hadn't been an option. One Ash could, and never would, consider. But he wished there had been a better way to help than the way he had had to. A way that wouldn't have hurt Serena like it had done. He didn't regret doing it. But he wished there had been a better way. Had there been an alternate way, he would have most certainly taken it.

Serena had taken the battle hard. While she was okay with the fact they had lost, she seemed completely torn about what had nearly happened to Ash. She had fallen asleep immediately afterwards, showing how tired she had really been. The Kantoean could only hope that her rest would revitalise her.

At this moment, Ash sat up with a reluctant sigh. He couldn't sleep, no matter how much he yearned for it. Instead, he reached into his bag, and pulled out a map of the region. The Northern section of the region he had traveled in, diverse and rich in people and culture, was all mapped out for him to examine. Each town name was there on the A1-Sized paper map, detailing each town, village and river in the region. He scanned over it, hoping that he would eventually fall asleep.

He glanced over the names of towns, reading them all in his head. Dandemille Town, Aquacord town, Santalune town.

Vaniville Town.

Ash raised an eyebrow, wondering where he remembered that town name from beforehand. He then sighed, and put the map down on the floor, tossed carelessly, without care nor concern for where it ended up. He remembered now. It was Serena's hometown.

No matter what he did, Ash wasn't able to focus on anyone or anything else right now, even if he didn't want to. The feelings he had for the blonde Kalosian girl had no faded in the last few days. They hadn't faded in roughly two years, so Ash wasn't entirely sure what he had been expecting. In spite of everything that had happened, the emotions, the thrill, the rush, the adrenaline, everything, the feelings he had for her were very present, and very real. The advice Miette had given him from before the tournament began flowed back into his head.

Ash laid back down again, on his hack, with his arms lazily thrown to either side of him without concern, and his head hit the pillow, with a loud slapping sound once he hit the thing. His head sunk into the feathers inside the pillow, while he contemplated things.

There wasn't really a whole lot of doubt that he was in love with Serena anymore. There wasn't much point in denying it either. He couldn't convince himself otherwise, so trying to convince others was utterly pointless. But now it seemed she was everywhere in his mind. His brain conjured up scenarios and memories in which Serena's presence made no sense, or never happened.

His mind drifted over to the Igneous region. Tough trainers, living on tough terrain, with tons of tough battling. Really, it was the best place for a trainer whom wanted a serious shock to their system, and wanted some hard battles that would force them to adapt and battle like they hadn't battled before. To fight the strongest Pokemon, and encounter some of the strongest trainers.

So why? Why was Ash hesitant to go there?

Serena. Again.

It just wouldn't be the same thing without her traveling with him...

He had grown used to Serena traveling with him. More so than anyone else he had ever traveled alongside. He enjoyed her presence next to his, her support, her just being by him. He just enjoyed her being near him. He couldn't find himself imagining her not being there.

Her smile, her laugh, her voice, her faith and support in him...

Just the thought of her made him feel warm, and made him feel sleepy. Not fighting it anymore, he allowed his thoughts to be filled with her.

He sighed happily once more, before falling asleep. 'Night, Serena...'


	18. Contemplation

"...So you're telling me, Paul's just gone."

"Yes."

"Without a trace."

"Yes."

"And without saying a word to anyone."

"Yes!"

"...Yeah, that sounds like him." Ash informed Miette with a bemused grin at her concern for his location. "He would just straight up leave in the middle of the night. He left places without a word pretty much every time I saw him. Apparently that hasn't changed."

Miette looked a weird combination of depressed and amused at the same time. One thing was certain in that display, however. She was actually somewhat hurt. She thought they were friends at the very least.

"Hey, don't be upset." Ash tried to cheer her up, although he wasn't totally sure what to say. "He'll show up again, I promise. I seem to keep running into the guy, even if I don't want to."

Miette smiled weakly at Ash, although it was clear it hadn't helped her much. But then, really, what could Ash say to help her feel better? There wasn't much he could say to help her. Nothing he could really say that would cheer her up.

It was like when he had to leave Kalos for the first time, and he had had to tell Serena.

"Come on." He said to the blue haired baker, patting her on the shoulder. "We gotta get moving."

"Yeah... Yeah, I'll just be a moment." Miette said, turning back to her room to acquire her bag, her belongings, and any other essentials that were needed. She quickly ducked into her room. She shut the door behind her, needing a few moments to just process the information. She wasnt on the verge of tears, but she looked like she needed to get her head straight.

Ash decided it best to leave her to it. He could wait for her in the lobby with Serena. It was beat to give Miette a little space given the series of events, he decided. He made his way to the lobby alone, where he knew Serena was waiting. The plan was for him and Serena to pick up their partner Pokemon respectively, and carry on down the road. From there, they were going to head to a location known as Lilac Lake, given its self - explanatory name due to the high number of lilacs that sprouted in the summer months, thanks to the rays of heat from the sun. And it was especially hot this summer. Ash couldn't help but think a visit to a lake of all places might be a nice, cool, refreshing break. While he hadn't paid direct attention to it, he had it noted that this summer was one of the hottest he'd ever been in. So a visit to a lake, with cool, open air hitting him in the face, and a cold lake sounded like absolute heaven right now.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. It was already early, not long past 10Am, and it was already blistering warm. The thermometer read it at about 32 Celsius (roughly 86F), easily a scorching day in his native region. They definitely had a long walk ahead of them today, of that there could be absolutely no question. It was then that Ash thanked God for his cap. At least that would provide some shade for him. He'd take what little he could get today. Any was good in place of this days sun.

He made his way into the main reception, where a few trainers were still coming and going. Some were sat down, talking, discussing the tournament that had just gone down. Others were just arriving, using the place as a stop off point on their own various journeys. Some came in groups, while some came in alone. All of them seemed to be energised in some way, in spite of the heat, like they refused to give the heat the satisfaction of a victory. That, or they were climatized to this searing heat. Being born in a relativley cold region, Ash had to question, how anyone could climatize to this heat...

Indeed, it did look like Serena was relatively cool, compared to Ash. She noticed this and raised an eyebrow of concern. "Ash, are you okay?"

"Just a bit warm." He replied, sitting down heavily, and sighing. "I'm red hot."

"You're warm?"

"Yeah."

"Uh, this is a... Pretty cool spring day, actually..." Serena informed Ash, slightly reserved, but smiling still.

"You're kidding." Ash sighed heavily once again in a sort of frustration. "Urgh... I'm more used to cooler temperatures..."

"You didn't have an issue with the heat last time." Serena commented, remembering his first few journeys in the region. The temperature was higher, if she remembered correctly, but Ash had seemed to just shrug it off. Something had changed.

"I'd been traveling non stop for quite a while. I think I got used to it after spending a lot of time in tropical regions. Or at least more tropical regions than Kanto..." Ash took his cap off, and started to use it as a fan to cool himself down. This was heat that was bearable... But it made him a bit uncomfortable.

"Maybe we should all go to Aloha." Serena said jokingly with a small grin.

"Please, God no." Ash said with a chuckle. "I'll melt."

The two of them had fun, trading jokes and laughing between themselves. It was a stark contrast, Ash thought, to last night, where Serena had been very upset, and depressed about the state of affairs, to the point of shedding tears. Now, she was happy and bubbly in her personality. A much better, cuter personality, Ash thought. He decided he wouldn't bring up last night. There was no point in opening the wound. She seemed to have recovered from it, and had let out all her negative emotions that she had needed to, and that was enough for him. He wasn't sure if he had actually been a big help, but if he had helped at all, he was glad.

Now he was content to just talk to his friend and help her as needed. She seemed happy enough to just be talking to him too, so that was completely fine with the sweltering Kantoean.

"Hey, Ash, where's Miette?" Serena asked, glancing around the room, looking for her blue haired friend, only to find her nowhere. "Shouldn't che be here by now?"

"She said she was just grabbing a few things... I don't know whats taking her so long." Ash said, raising an eyebrow. He found that definitely curious. She shouldn't have taken this long. It was possible that she was just taking her time, but Ash felt it was unlikely. "Want me to go check on her?"

"I guess so. I'll stay and collect our Pokemon if Nurse Joy calls us up." Serena said with a nod. While she would prefer to speak with Ash more, it was more important to make sure their friend was okay. Even if she could be a pain in the neck to deal with.

Ash nodded also, and forced himself to his feet. He threw his cap back on his head, and made his way towards his entry point once again. He wondered to himself, would he ever tell Serena that he liked her? Where this thought had come from was absolutely no where, appearing from the crypts of his head and heart, but he still found himself dwelling on the subject. He had been back in Kalos only a week and a few days, yet he was dwelling in subjects he had never wondered on when around her. Part of his heart told him to go for it. He took note that he hadn't asked, nor had anyone forced her, to wait for him to show up again. She never mentioned it to him in the two years, and didn't seem to notice anyone else... But his head told him that now he was just being arrogant. He had barely been here a week, and he was going to throw that at her? Besides, the idea that Serena would want someone who not only lived halfway across the planet, but abandoned her?...

Ash found himself outside their room. He sighed. "Damn it, brain." He muttered to himself, cursing his own thinking before he walked into the room.

Looking inside, he saw Miette just sat down on the sofa, with all her things to her side. Ahe wasn't doing much. She had her hands carrying her head as she used them as a rest, amd ahe had been staring into space. She had been about to get up when Ash had opened to door. She looked to him with a look of surprise that he was there.

"You alright?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yeah." Miette said, standing up and facing the Kantoean, having recovered from her initial shock rapidly. "Yeah. Sorry. I just needed a minute, thats all."

"Oh. Sorry." Ash apologised for interrupting. "Serena wanted me to check on you."

Miette nodded, and looked away, to the window. Walking over to it, she placed her hand on the glass softly, and sighed.

"Are you okay?..." Ash asked, worried for her for a moment. She seemed down. Depressed almost.

"Yeah. I was just thinking... I guess I'm still out of it." The blue haired baker replied to her friend. She didn't look at him though. She just looked outside the glass. Her hands met behind her back, and rested themselves on her upper hip. "It was... Quite the deep think."

"Miette?"

"Im sorry." She apologised again, a bit more humorously this time. "I've been in my own world for a while." She looked at Ash now, showing a smile on her face now. "I've decided."

Ash looked puzzled at the Kalosian. She wasn't making any sort of sense. Then again, he was used to people talking in riddles, cryptic with their words, needless as it may be to the situation. "What have you decided?"

"I'm making sure you and Serena are an item before you're done in Kalos."

Ash felt himself nearly fall over, tripping up on absolutely nothing whatsoever, and his face burning up, only aided by the extreme heat he felt inside this building on such a boiling day. He also made some sort of involuntary yelp in surprise, his eyes widening, and then immediately narrowing to normal again rapidly. "You're going to do _what_?" He put special emphasis on the word 'What'.

"You heard me." Miette replied with a smile on her face. "I'm making sure you two are together before you run off again."

"This seems a bit just - What?" Ash tried to respond, but couldn't quite articulate the words he required to use to make his response. Miette had thrown that at him out of absolutely no where, and she seemed absolutely serious. Not a hint of teasing or bluffing. She was actually serious about this.

Miette looked outside, glancing at a fountain that spat water into the air around it, and let the gravity to pull the water back into its pond, allowing the cycle to repeat. On a hot summers day, Miette could only see that as a waste of resources. But it still looked pretty. "Someone told me I shouldn't interfere with someones love life until I know everything thats going on. A foreign influence in someones love life that doesn't know everything they can about the relationship could just make it so much worse. It could even doom it. But I know everything about yours two's now. Or, at least everything thats important about it."

"And whats that?" Ash asked, feeling somewhat annoyed that Miette claimed that she knew all there was to know about his and Serena's relationship.

"I know you two are in love with each other." A crimson blush appeared on Ash's face. Miette's blunt statement had thrown him off. And Ash knew she was right, about his feelings towards Serena at least. Miette grinned to herself and turned to face Ash. As she began listing off her points, she raised a finger for each point for emphasis. "Thats all there is to know. It took me a while to figure out, but I get it now. Gender, region, hometown, colour, faith, past, it doesn't matter. Theres only one thing that matters, and its the most fundamental thing, so painfully obvious that I'm kicking myself for not realising what they meant sooner." She jabbed a finger into Ash's chest, and smirked. "You love her, don't you?"

Silence.

"I thought so." Miette took her finger from Ash's chest and grinned in her own tiny victory, walking past Ash, and into the corridor, a confident stride in her step, while Ash just stared at where she used to be, in shock, lagging behind the rest of reality for a few seconds. Once he caught up, Miette smirked once again. "Well, I'm not gonna let you walk out of Kalos without making sure you two know how the other feels."

Miette then turned on her heel and walked down the hall. "Come on, lets get going."

"Huh?" R-Right, right." Ash stuttered, still reeling from the strike after strike from Miette, jogging to catch up with her. "Wait, are you actually serious about this?!"

"Deadly serious." Miette responded with a confident response, and a sprint in her step. She certainly was acting cheerful.

"Don't I get a say in this?!"

"Uh, yeah. You get to choose what you say to Serena when you confess to her."

"Wait a second, Miette." ash said, stopping her by placing a hand in her shoulder and holding her back. "I only just got back into Kalos. Ive been here a week, and - "

"You think she'll care about that?" Miette asked, tilting her head to her side, so it rested on her left shoulder.

"Assuming..." Ash tried to speak, but was cut off again.

"Ash, listen to me. You're nervous. Scared. I know. I would be. I was. And it ended poorly for me. And now I know what that's like, I can't sit back in good faith and watch you two drift apart, and tear your mind to pieces thinking of the 'What ifs'. I already know... Am very, very, very confident she feels the same way about you. But lets assume she doesn't." A very heavy strain was put on he word 'Assume'. She isn't going to cut ties with you over something like that. That isn't who she is." Miette sighed. "Look, I was heated there, I admit. I won't do anything without your say... But you need to face this."

Ash sighed heavily, and considered for a for moments. "You're right... You're right, you're right." He cursed himself. Two years, and he still wasn't as mature as he thought he was. At his core, he still was the oblivious teenager he had been when he first entered Kalos. He sighed deeply again. "I gotta face this sometime, huh..."

"I'll help." Miette said. "But i don't think you'll need it."

"Thanks..." Ash said, smiling at Miette. He knew he had to do this. This would either end perfectly, or horrifically. This was a best case - worst case scenario. No middle ground.

 _'Perhaps if I spoke to him more, he would have told me he was leaving early. Maybe he wouldn't have. I don't know. I may never know until I see him again. But he was right.'_ Miette thought to herself. ' _Well, I'll make sure these two get that message, Paul. Ill make sure these two know the other one loves them if its the last thing I do here.'_


	19. Anxiety

Kalosian summers were notorious for being warm and for their beautiful weather. The natural beauty of the region came from the Summers that he Kalosians loved. Brochures, and advertisements were almost always focused and made around this time of year. The only other time being in Winter. Both showcased the natural beauty of the region.

Noting such a nice, quiet and generally happy atmosphere as the group made their way down the road to Lilac Lake, Serena allowed herself to bask in the warm rays of the sun. The heat felt so nice, so comfortable on her skin as she walked in the open air. Such a warm day was naught but a joy to Serena, whom had experienced such warm days on average, annually. Little thought went into Serena's relaxation in the summer warmth. She was quite happy to allow the solar rays to hit her skin, as she closed her eyes while basking in the beautiful day.

Miette was the same way. She had let her hair down, and allowed it to flow behind her freely. She allowed herself to quietly enjoy the pleasure of warmth hitting her skin. Miette had a preference for Summer to absolutely any other month. The month was by far her favourite, and she was continuously happy and joyous throughout the months of sunshine, heat, scenery and the thousands of other reasons why the blue haired baker found the Summer months irresistible.

Ash on the other hand, was drinking water like he was a dehydrated Quagsire that had been stuck in the desert for three days. Heat like this, he hadn't re-adapted to it yet to enjoy the heat the others were. He was focusing on keeping himself cooled so he didn't overheat. It irritated Ash, as he could easily remember the times he was actually in the Kalos region, and he could enjoy the heat and the warmth. Returning to Kanto had been like returning to a blizzard, and now, the opposite was true. He watched the other two, thinking how lucky they were to be able to enjoy this warm weather.

In spite of that, Ash managed to remind himself what Miette had told him. Her plans. What she wanted to do. He still wasn't sure of the idea... but he had to face a few facts. The first one being, Miette would follow through with her threat if she wanted to. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind she was capable, and willing, to do something like that. But Ash had never thought she would. Maybe the sight of the two of them dancing around each other was starting to frustrate her. Ash knew it would frustrate him. But the second thing was... He had to overcome his own nerves to do that, and that was going to be a much more difficult challenge.

Never had Ash previously had an issue with his nerves regarding much of anything. Sometimes, he felt a tinge of nervousness at taking part in a league match. Sometimes he felt it in a gym battle, although that had become a rarity. But when it came to Serena, it had become a case of practically all the time. It was so weird to Ash that someone could make him feel like this, but at the same time, make him happy by their mere presence. He had to laugh at the mere concept. Two completely conflicting emotions, battling it out on even ground in his head and his heart.

Ash was completely confused. Totally and utterly confused. He knew he loved Serena, but why did that make him feel like this? Like every move he made around her was like avoiding a landmine, or that every word he said was like trying to read aloud a book on calming an Electrode. Serena's personality wasn't even slightly explosive, so why did he keep coming back to this idea of explosions? Was that just what love was? Just an explosion of emotion?

His head filled with thoughts, Ash forced himself to focus in the walk ahead. Lilac Lake wasn't exactly too far away now, at least according to Serena. He decided he really should focus on these thoughts another time, when he wasn't on the move. He sighed. It was just a shame that it wasn't his conscious choice to think about that sort of thing.

"Someone on your mind?" Miette asked Ash, quiet enough that Serena couldn't hear, from her up ahead lead. She wore her trademark smirk, of course. She knew she was right. Why she even bothered asking was beyond Ash.

All the same, he found himself with rosy cheeks. "Have a guess." He replied sarcastically. Forcing every word he said to have as much sarcasm as he could, exaggerating every syllable at length.

"Venom." Miette said, standing up straight. "So, you come up with a way to tell her yet?"

Ash sighed. Miette really was pushing this, like he had expected. To be honest, he was amazed she hadn't physically shoved the two of them together and gotten straight to the point, so he had to be thankful for that at least. "Im working on it. If I'm gonna do this, I want to do it right..." There was no point, he thought, of doing it as a rushed, slap-dash thing. If he was going to do this, It had to be conveyed right. He wanted to show Serena that he really did care for her, and loved her as much as he did. She deserved that much, at the very least.

"Nice attitude." Miette complimented, patting Ash in the back lightly. "...Have you actually made any progress?"

"...No." Ash confessed. It was a lot easier to come up with scenarios in his head than it was to tale those scenarios, condense them, and them force his flawed self to go through with them. So far, he hadn't actually come up with anything.

Miette sighed this time. "Just... What does Serena say?" Miette asked, searching her head for the quote. "That phrase she uses to motivate herself. Go for broke?"

"Thats easier said than done in this context." Ash had to remind Miette. Her words made perfect sense, of course they did... But it was hard to go through with them like this.

"Thats true." The blue haired baker conceded. She supposed it was cruel of her to decide that Ash was required to confess today, in front of her, in blistering heat, while his mind was barely even on properly. Though, that hadn't been her inention. She had told Ash a few times, she wasnt going to force him to confess to her immediately. He had to gather the strength to do so on his own.

Ash looked at Serena, as she lead the party on her way. It was all about the context in which the confession took place, he thought. If he was just given the right situation, he might just be able to confess to Serena in the way he wanted to. The way she deserved it... Various emotions clouded his head. He would never be able to coherently convey them. He would need a vocabulary of even the finest wordsmith, and even then, he would struggle.

He considered. It really didn't take much to talk to her, did it? To be honest, he sort of felt like he had been avoiding her almost in a way. It was like he didn't want to confront her, so he just skimmed around the place. They had both been overjoyed to see each other when he first returned to Kalos, but it didn't feel much like the old days. He picked up his walking pace, which Miette noticed.

"Its a uh... Nice looking area, huh Serena?" Ash asked, taking a few strides further up, catching up with Serena as quickly as he could without running. Talking to her, Ash had decided, was something he could manage. Heck, it was something he should have been doing anyway! She was his friend, after all.

Serena looked at him from the map, and then scanned the area. It wasn't quite Lilac Lake, but it was a beautiful area all the same. Grass swayed in the very light breeze, and lightly gently reflected off the blades of the green vegetation. All around them were a varied selection of rocky hills. Lilac Lake was located somewhere in the centre of all these mountains, due to millennia of erosion. There weren't any trees, or bushes, or anything like that. It was just grass, the hills, and the skies. It could almost be an area an amateur artist just starting out would try to paint.

"It is." Serena agreed with Ash, having just taken a proper look around. She looked up to the sky, and then back down immediately to the ground, the suns light blinding as it was warm. "You doing okay with the heat?" She asked Ash, concerned.

"I'll be okay." Ash replied with a smile.

"Okay. Let me know if you're feeling dizzy."

Ash chuckled. "I'll try my best not to pass out on you, here, Serena."

Serena smiled to herself. "You better not."

Leaning over her shoulder, the Kantoean scanned the map briefly. He wasn't the worlds greatest orienteer, but he understood a map well enough. From what he understood, the Lilac Lake would be in sight within an hour or two. "I guess we aren't far from the Lake." He commented, attempting to make some sort of small talk.

"Just over the next ridge." Serena told him, pointing at the map, tracing her finger along the path they were on. "We should get there... In about, what, an hour?"

"Looks that way." Ash said, following her fingers trailing across the paper.

"You sure you're gonna be okay?" Serena asked again, the concern this time completely obvious, in her voice as well as her eyes.

"Ill be fine." Ash reassured her gently.

"I hope so..."

"You make it sound like I cant handle a little heat." Ash jokily commented.

Serena chuckled at the innuendo that could be taken from that sentence, but then became serious once again once she had calmed down. "I'm just worried, thats all. I mean, theres all sorts of things that might hurt you, like sunburn, or heatstroke, or -"

"Thats not really too reassuring." Ash commented with a smile. "You may want to work on your bedside manner."

"I just... I don't want you getting hurt..." Serena said quietly, as she folded up the map and placed it in her bag. Her movements were gentle, and her voice soft. Her hands came up in front of her lips, as she lightly bit the tip of her fingers. She knew Ash wasn't going to let a little warm weather get him down. It was going to take a lot more than that to take him out, but she worried all the same.

Ash didn't say anything. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Serena's shoulder and brought her into a small semi - hug. It didn't help his problem with being too warm, but that was irrelevant in the long run. "I'm not gonna get hurt, Serena... But I'd rather I got hurt than you did..."

The Kalosian girl made absolutely no effort to resist, and allowed herself to be half hugged this way, with not a word said against her crushes actions. Instead, after a brief moment of surprise, she quickly relaxed into their half hug, aided only with a blush. "And I'd rather I got hurt than you did..."

Smiling at her, Ash joked, "I guess we'll have to take getting hurt in turns." He wouldn't let her take her turn, he thought. He'd veto her turn to get hurt and take her place every single time. Even if she violently disagreed, the alternative was far, far worse to him.

Serena had the same thought process. "Yeah..."

From behind the two of them, Miette watched their exchange with a small feeling of accomplishment. It hadn't been a huge push, but a step was a step, and eventually, the two would be able to convey the feelings they so desperately needed to release to one another. She smiled at their half hug, watching them quietly, giving them a wide birth of about 5 meters.

* * *

 **I know guys, i know. Short chapter. Not my usual standard. Two words.**

 **Deadline week.**

 **College needed all my work handing in, and i needed to finish everything not done, and improve it all to the best I could.**

 **I missed an uploading deadline with you guys, so this is the best i can do. Im sorry about that, but i hope you can understand.**

 **While I'm here, i think ill answer a few questions.**

 **The last couple of updates have been slap dash works because of my deadlines. Hard to stay motivated when i can barely stay awake outside of college**

 **And to those who are wondering, I stopped doing authors notes because i noticed many other authors didn't do them much anymore, so I thought it would make for a better story if i stopped doing them altogether. Let me know if that was incorrect of me. I know some of you have been concerned about me, to which i say, thanks for the concern, but the removal was because i thought it would benefit you ^_^**

 **Also, I've applied for an actual writing task. Ive applied to be the lead writer of the Pokemon Fan Game Phoenix Rising. Im not sure if ill get the job, but its worth applying for. So a lot of creative thinking has gone into that.**

 **A lot of loneliness and depression has been a part of my life lately, which has affected my morale, but, like I always say, I refuse to give in to it. So I've been fighting that one off with all i can. The way I've discovered is keeping myself busy. So i've been writing my own original works for Wattpad, and working on my Youtube channel (Both can be found in my Profile if you want to find them).**

 **So... Thats pretty much everything there is to say from me. I hope you did manage to enjoy this chapter. The next few chapters with be Amour focused. Getting back to the old One Day Off levels of Amour, like i know you all love. I hope your looking forward to those, and ill see you next time!**

 **Sorry again for such a short chapter.**


	20. Shock

Being in the road for at least a couple of hours, Ash and Serena discussed many various things. Their conversation didn't have a particular focus, they just talked about whatever it was that came into their minds. They just talked. It didn't really matter what about.

The scenery grew stale after a while, with more and more grass just appearing, over and over again, so it was an atheistic refresher once they finally did come into the visual range of the lake.

The first thing any of the group noticed was a blast of pleasant, cool air. The lake was large, and therefore, the wind was able to collect heavily in and around the air, and had enough movement to go. It was like being on a beach side, blasted with a gust of wind. Getting past that, the lake was a beautiful crystal blue color, and a bright reflection of the sun in the waters calm face. The entire area was surrounded with Pokemon, in the air, in the water, and in the grasslands around it, like a thriving community of wild Pokemon. Wingull and Pelliper flew across the waters surface, while Finneon and Goldeen swam underneath the waters surface. Residing the the waters edge, were a group of Wooper, Quagsire, Polywag and Palpitoad. A few meters away from the lake, as a large, narrow chasm, which had been the result of an earthquake a few hundred years ago. It was grown over in plant-life, but was still very clearly there.

"Ahhhh..." Ash sighed in great joy after being hit by the cool gust of wind. "Thats... So much better." He said aloud, letting out another deep breath of relaxation.

"You sound like an old man." Serena commented humorously, but she did know in fact, that it was a blistering summer. Unusually so. Even she was feeling the effects of it.

The group made their way to the waters edge themselves. As its name boasted, there were lilac plants everywhere. They were in the fields, for as far as the group could even see. Beautiful plant life was everywhere, not just lilac plants. The flora was everywhere, a botanists paradise. Roses and sunflowers, daffodils. Oran berry and Pecha berry bushes were scattered around, and several trees, containing Sitrus and Lum berries were sprouted around.

Miette commented, her head popping up from an information booklet. "Apparently this lake is unique in that the soil allows all types of berries and plants to grow that would never grow naturally together. No one is too sure why."She closed her book and looked around the plants. "Interesting..."

"Oran berries and Sitrus berries in the same soil makes a certain sort of sense." Serena said. "They both replenish energy, so they require similar growing conditions, if i'm not mistaken. Though I'm not sure why there are Pecha berries also growing here. They need a more damp environment than this, don't they?"

"Put it down as just one of those wonders in the world." Ash suggested, grinning at the sight. As he spoke, he plucked an Oran berry from one of the bushes, and took a bite out of it. Surprisingly, it was very good. "These aren't bad at all." He grabbed two others, throwing one for Miette, which she caught, and passing another to Serena. Both tried them, agreeing with Ash's assessment of them. They were sour, but not overly so, like candy from a corner shop.

"These are nice!" Serena said, with a happy smile.

"Mmm!" Miette agreed, though her mouth was full, nodding in agreement also. Once she had swallowed this mouthful, she turned to Serena and said, "We should take a few of these for cooking. We don't get this kind of fresh food in the market stalls often."

Serena and Ash both nodded in unison, agreeing in their plans to stock up on the berries before they left the site. Returning to their sightseeing tour after filling their bellies, the group began to explore the area. Untouched by human hands, the place was a natural paradise, explosive with natural life, and populated by nature loving organics also. The Pokemon whom called this land home had a small little society-Esq system of their own, it seemed, where everyone helped one another to grow and expand their lush home. And it had to be said, to was a beautiful place. It had to be said over and over again, just to punctuate the point clearer. It was incredibly refreshing, and pleasantly cool. Ash was very content to remain here until nightfall, where he wouldn't essentially be a walking stew on legs.

Naturally a paradise for the Pokemon, as well as the people whom visited them, this was a place that anyone could see the need to look after and protect.

"Its so beautiful, isn't it?" Serena said to Ash, with a warm smile on her face, as she watched the lakes water dance in sunlight. The light reflected off the small waves on the surface, creating a small light show for those who paid attention.

"It is. Its so peaceful." Ash agreed with the Kalosian girl.

"I feel so calm here..."

"Yeah..."

"Its... Serene."

Ash glanced at Serena, and then smirked. "Serene. Serena. Heh, even your name means peaceful and beautiful."

At that moment, there was a deathly silence as Ash realized exactly what he just said. It took him about four seconds until the penny dropped, at which point his eyes shot open, and his face went crimson. "That - That came out wrong!"

To his side, a flustered Serena was looking at her feet, her face as red as Ash's crimson, her eyes fixated firmly on her feet. She had been caught totally, completely, and utterly by surprise.

Panicking, an unusual characteristic for Ash to have, he attempted to save himself from the embarrassment by making excuses. "No! I mean that - I don't mean your - Well you are but - That not... I..." Ash sighed in defeat, not having managed to get a single excuse out of his mouth. Not even a slightly plausible one. Not even a terrible lie either, he had just totally failed at averting the embarrassment, which had only compacted to embarrass him more. His face red, he muttered in defeat and resignation, "Oh, damn it..."

Serena managed to smile, despite the embarrassment. She was, in actuality, extraordinarily happy to hear Ash say something like that. She was caught off guard, and was frozen in her movement by said embarrassment. In a word, she was completely flustered. She managed to push back this to utter a few simple, but heartfelt words. "...Thank you."

"H-Huh?"

"It just feels nice to hear that... Especially from you..." Serena admitted, her own embarrassment becoming clearly evident in her hesitant voice.

"S-Serena..."

"I... Can't really explain it..." Serena said, hesitantly. "It just... Makes me happy to know... That thats what you think about me..." Serena leaned herself on Ash, resting her head on his shoulder.

From a distance she wasn't likely to be spotted, Miette watched this all take place hesitantly put his arm around Serena's shoulders. Still not there yet, but getting close. The two or them were so close to one another, that this entire mission of Miettes, she expected, shouldn't last too long at all. "Attaboy, Ash." She said with a smirk, congratulating Ash quietly.

* * *

Time seemed to go by extremely quickly that day, as before the group even knew it, the sun was setting. It hadn't even felt like a couple of ours to Ash and Serena, but there was the sunset, saying contrary to whatever it was that they believed.

"Huh?" Ash asked no one in particular. He had been sat under a tree, using a cloth to shine his Pokeballs and other pieces of various equipment. He had taken his jacket off, and was in his plain black T-Shirt, to allow him to cool down more rapidly. He had only just noticed the time, the sunset. "Feels early still..."

Despite being somewhat confused, Ash propped himself up, an made his way to the group, Serena and Miette both stood by the waters edge, talking about the same subject also. Serena had her arms crossed, and a look of confusion on her face. Miette just looked quizzical, and saw Ash come from the corner of her peripheral vision.

"Uh, you guys... Is it just me, or does it seem like it got late... Really early?" Ash said, fully aware that the sentence he just said made little to no sense.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." Miette nodded at Ash. "I swear we haven't been here for a couple of hours."

"Did we arrive later than we thought?" Serena asked, trying to find a logical explanation.

"Try 'Illusion.'"

The group was joined by a forth voice, shocking each and every one of them. turning quickly on there heels, there was one of the last people any of them expected to see.

"Good to see you again, you cute Kantoean." It was directly aimed at Ash.

It was Sierra.

"You?" Ash asked surprised at her presence here. Of all the people, in all the places, Sierra was here? "what do you mean, 'Illusion'?"

"Psychic images produced from the outside area. Probability of discovery, negligible. Side effect, sunset within field of containment." Another voice. Robotic, like a computer. It didn't take a genius to figure out this was Beta. He stepped from behind a tree, joining Sierra in her stance against Ash and his group.

Remembering the advice Sycamore had told him, Ash was weary of these people. Synthcorp was a very shady group, from what Ash understood, and these two claimed to work for them. Were this the case, what were they doing here?

"What is it that you want?" Serena asked. She remembered their battle, their attitudes, the way they tried to hurt Ash.

"Don't we even get a 'It's nice to see you again'?" Sierra asked, acting offended. "Not even a 'How have you been'? I'm hurt."

"Sierra." beta said, coldly. "Objective takes priority. Your taunts are unrequited."

"Fun though."

"Focus on your objective."

"Yeah, yeah." Sierra said, muttering. "Well, let's get right to the chase then." She smirked, with a cruel smile, and held out an open hand. "Ash Ketchum - Your Pokemon. Give them to us, now."

It wasn't a demand Ash was unfamiliar with. Years of being chased by Team Rocket, Ash wasn't even surprised by these demands anymore. They had become so routine, they almost bored him. But these people were a plausible threat. They were very strong, and utterly ruthless. "Why on earth would I do that?"

"I'd do it if I were you."

Turning behind him once again, Ash saw a hooded figure leaning against a tree, brandishing a Pokeball, hiding his face from their sight. The hood was dark, and his eyes were hidden by the shade, the absence of light underneath his hood. From what little Ash could see, he had pale skin, and sounded to be male. that was about it.

"Drapion." Psi said, throwing his Pokeball into the air. From it came the Poison Dark type, letting out an aggressive battle cry, preparing it's stinger, and sharpening it's claws, ready for combat.

"Psi, give them a single chance more." Beta ordered. "Logic dictates you are overpowered, and outflanked. Surrender is the logical choice."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked with electricity, ready to fight off their opponents. Ash was also ready. Logic be damned, he sure wasn't giving up his Pokemon. His Pokeballs had been left by the tree he had just been sat at undefended, but hidden. Pikachu was all Ash had. So this was going to be a difficult fight.

All the same.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Unleashing a huge volt of electricity, Pikachu shot the bolt straight at the opposing Pokemon, whom dodged it with ease. Another bolt was fired at Drapion, whom once again, dodged without difficulty. High speed, uncharacteristic of a Drapion.

"Big mistake." Sierra taunted. Their orders were to acquire the Pokemon.

Absolutely nothing was said about the trainers.

Drapion already prepared its attack, sharpening its claws for Bulldoze attack. When Pikachu jumped up to attack, the Drapion slammed it with it's tail, sending Pikachu flying into the shrubbery. The Drapion let loose a loud, battle ready, vicious cry, and prepared to strike.

It wasn't aiming for Pikachu.

It was aiming for Ash.

"Ash!" Serena acted impulsively, pulling Ash back as he was still registering what was going on, due to the Drapions such high speed. Being pulled away Ash finally registered the attack, and moved alongside with Serena, covering her and turning to move with her.

The Bulldoze attack slammed into the rocky ground just behind the Kantoean and the Kalosian, and the resulting shock-waves sent them off the earth and into the air, carried along by the force of the attack.

The attack was so strong, the shock-waves sent the two of them flying.

Right into the great chasm, where gravity did the rest of the work.

* * *

 **Been a while since i did an authors note properly, seeing as you guys all seemed to say you liked them. that was a surprise to be honest, I was expecting a majority to dislike the A.N, but, hey its your guy's call.**

 **This chapter is the point in which we actually get Amourshipping Amourshipping, if you know what I mean. Up until this point, I've been dodging and weaving around the content that, lets be honest we're all here for. That is about to change. but how will the two of them get out of this situation? This has been a plan I've had in place for a while, and marks the point in which I've been looking forward to writing this story for quite a while. You'll see, trust me. Also... Just to the one guy who was mad about the weather in this story... Uh... What?**

 **I'm also working on another Fondantshipping story, j _ust to piss off homophobes_ ^_^ **

**Also this is where I'm hinting at an unnamed 5 chapter Amourshipping Story.**

 **Also... SERIOUS consideration has gone into One Day Off : Aloha journeys. If the anime is gonna lose Serena, you can sure as hell expect me to not give up on her, so, I'm thinking, considering, daring the consider the possibility, of me doing a One Day off sequel. Do _not_ quote me on that, but It's a possibility. **

**Outside of this, I've been working on writing my own independent stories, filled with my own world, characters, powers and personalities, and that sort of deal. A lot has gone into conveying it exactly how I want it conveying, and I've been getting lots of help from people around me who know a bit about writing. In the meantime, you guys have certainly been busy with all of the reviews and content that you've been providing or me to read. It helps motivate me so much guys, so thank you for that. Metakingiant has been a huge help in that regard. check out his profile. He's got some good works over there.**

 **Other than that guys the usual stuff has been going on, So I hope you've enjoyed this chapter of Love, Loss and Loyalty, and Ill see you in the next chapter of whatever I do indeed write next. See you all!**


	21. Truthful

"Ouch..."

Serena recovered first after the fall from the top of the canyon, her head still spinning. It had to have been hours since the attack from that other attackers Drapion had knocked them over the edge. It was pitch black, and Serena's vision was very limited, to only a few meters in front of her.

"Owwwww... My head..." She muttered to herself, clutching her forehead. She had a splitting headache, which felt like it was splitting her head in two. She forced herself to ignore it, despite the throbbing pain, and made herself take stock.

The first question was this: How the hell was she okay?

Okay was relative, but she didn't have a single serious injury. Nothing broken, nothing that required aid. Maybe a few cuts and tears of her skin that hurt her, a small bit of bleeding from those wounds, but for the most part, she was completely fine. It was only at that moment that she took note on what she had fallen on.

It was like a cushion of fauna and overgrown grass and plants. They had grown on top of one another over what had to have been multiple years, and that had broken their fall.

Their...

"Ash!" Serena almost yelled out loud, and looked around, frantically for him.

She didn't have to look too far. Ash was only a few meters away from her, also having landed on this grassy cushion. He was still unconscious, however, and his injuries looked a bit harsher than hers did. He had cuts on his face, a few bruises, and a long mark down his right arm.

Serena quickly moved herself over to the Kantoean, and looked to see what she could do. She shook him by his shoulders lightly, attempting to get a response out of him. "Ash! Ash, are you okay?!" When she didn't get a response, she became concerned. "Please wake up Ash..."

Tears stung her eyes, and ran down her cheeks. Her worry was getting the better of her rational thinking. She was concerned, scared for Ash's well-being, and there was very little she could do for him. To help him, she needed to get him to a hospital, or a Pokemon Centre, somewhere that had the equipment, and someone with the proper training to actually help. Serena had neither. She had to wipe away her tears before she could focus on doing what little she could for Ash.

"Okay... Okay... I just... I - I need a flashlight..." She said between her sniffled as she dried her eyes as best she could. She forced herself to check through Ash's bag, searching for her required equipment. In the dark, she had to feel for something that felt cylindrical. It took her a few moments, but she was able to find something that fitted the description. Running her hands along it, she felt it expand at one side, and the glass on it. She was certain of this objects nature now.

She pulled it from the bag, and felt along the shaft of the object for a switch. Upon finding it, and after sending a quick prayer to Arceus that the thing still had power, she slipped it on, and, her wish granted, the light came on, shining a beam of light onto the wall around her.

This minor success was quickly met with a soul crushing defeat. After Serena congratulated her on her victory, she shone the flashlight around her immediate location.

She found herself in a sort of enclosed cave. Around her there was nothing but rocky walls, a rocky ceiling, and a soft, cushiony garden-like floor. She and Ash were essentially encased in a small room.

"What?..." Serena barely even had the energy to be surprised or scared at this point. She didn't even bother to question why, or how, this had happened. She could just have one of her Pokemon break it down. Perhaps Pancham... Except when she reached for her Pokeballs, she realized, they were with her bag, up topside, along with Ash's. They really were trapped here.

Relaxing herself, Serena knew that there was nothing she could do about that right now. She had no idea how this had happened, but this was what she had to work with. She could only hope Miette was alright, and could find them soon.

Within the confines of what she could do, Serena had to use the only thing she had to hand. She didn't particularly want to, but she knew, in an instant, that Ash's safety and health was far, far, far more important than sentiment.

On her person, she still had Ash's ribbon. The one he had given her on the closest thing she could call a date that she had ever been on.

It held so much meaning to her. Her time with Ash, the bond they shared, their friendship...

And now, it was going to help Ash, far more than it could help Serena.

She unfolded the knot in the ribbon, and pulled it from around her neck. Gently dabbing Ash's wounds, she then tied it around the mark on his right arm. It wasn't exactly a bandage, but given her circumstances, that was the best she could do.

Upon her inspection, she realized she might have over-reacted. Ash's injuries, while far more serious than her own, were still only minor. She had her rush of worry to blame for that, but regardless, she couldn't help but be worried sick. "Please be okay..." She prayed, quietly. There wasn't much else she could do.

* * *

"Urgh..."

Pain. That was the very first thing Ash felt. Everything hurt, pretty badly, like it had all scrapes and was heavily bruised. It wasn't quite that bad, and it looked worse than it was, easily. He found himself unable to move his arms or legs easily. Not that they were broken, just stiff. Moving them hurt, and he felt his legs were immensely sore in particular. He attempted to bend one to help him stand up, but he immediately fell back down after a sudden shock of pain hit his upper thigh.

"Ash!"

Ash turned his head towards the sound of what sounded like someone saying his name. He was dizzy, so his hearing wasn't at its best, due to his disorientation. Regardless, he attempted to reply. "Se... rena?..."

The next thing his slow to register mind caught up on was the young Kalosians arms wrapped around his next, and her head resting on his shoulder, hugging him and crying her eyes out. She was clinging to him tightly, and sobbing lightly into his shoulder. The act surprised Ash, but he made no effort to remove Serena, instead, opting to hug her back, comforting her, doing what he could to just enjoy the moment for a moment. It wasn't until Serena tightened her grip around Ash's neck that he had to say something. "Serena... Neck... Breathing... Oxygen..."

Serena took a second to understand, and then, realizing what was happening, immediately retracted her arms from his neck. "S-Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it..." Ash said, putting a hand on Serena's hand, and gripping it tightly.

"You've... Been out for a while... I was so worried..."

"I'm fine, Serena. Look at me." Serena looked at him, and his soft gaze, and smiling face brought a smile to hers. "I'm fine."

In spite of how much she enjoyed this exchange, Serena had to explain the situation to Ash. "We're trapped here. I woke up a few hours ago, and I found us in this... Cavern, thing. Its only about two-by-two meters wide, and there's not an exit..."

Observing the crypt, Ash suggested to Serena, "Did you feel a breeze coming from anywhere? Or heat, or something? That could be a sign for our way out."

Reluctantly, Serena had to shake her head. "I checked. There isn't anything. No hollow patches, no breeze, no heat or cold, or... Anything. All there is is this grass, garden stuff we're sat on, and I don't know how it got here, or how we got here, but i think it broke our fall."

"If this is here... There must be something connecting us to the outside, even if it is just a small crack... I know!" Ash reached for his Pokeballs. "...Oh yeah..." He said, realizing what he had done with them. He didn't even have Pikachu with him. Without any of their Pokemon to help them, they were limited in their ability to escape this cavern.

"I already tried that." Serena told Ash. Helping him to lean against a wall, she grabbed the flashlight, and shone it around the crypt they sat in, inspecting the walls once again. There was nothing new. At one point, Serena had tried tearing off chunks of rock to dig a tunnel out, but that hadn't lasted five minutes once she realized that these rocks had barely any loose parts to them.

"We can't have landed here naturally. This was done by someone..." The Kantoean said.

"Beta and Sierra?"

Ash cursed those two names under his breath. He had known they were insane, but this - This was one step he hadn't expected. He had seen them as brutes, utterly efficient and intimidating. Even after learning about Synthcorp, he hadn't imagined this. But he...

"No." Ash sighed. "They didn't expect us to get out of that fall. And if they did, they would have just finished us off. No, they didn't do this." Inspecting the rocks, Ash looked for a pattern, a sign of erosion, cracks, anything that would tell him what he needed to know.

He shone the light around the cavern quickly and noticed something interesting in the rocks. Instead of finding signs of erosion or anything else, he had found out that these rocks were densely packed, intentionally like this. There were certain points in the rocks were it would come inwards, and in the very next part of the rock, it tucked itself back a few centimeters. At the same time, each rock was tucked in neatly, fitting the next absolutely perfectly.

And additionally, they were able to breathe. The space they were allowed to exist in, they should have suffocated hours ago, yet here they were, unscathed.

Flashbacks of working in Oaks Lab hit Ash like a wave. Studies of Rock types in uncharted valleys and mountains when they encountered endangered Pokemon.

"Rock Tomb." Ash said aloud.

"Huh?"

"Good news and bad news." Ash said, turning to face Serena. "The good news is, I don't think we're in any danger. I think a Rock type Pokemon found us while we were out, and made this cavern as a shelter for us. I saw a lot of examples like this when I worked with Oak back home. The bad news," Ash continued, leaning against a wall, and sliding down it, sitting next to Serena. "Is that we'll be stuck in here for quite a while. Until morning, at least."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"Unless you're claustrophobic."

"Are you?"

"I don't particularly like being in small places. Not enough room for me to stretch my legs. I like the freedom to move around, and being in places like this really restricts me from that." Ash told her.

"That makes sense, coming from you." Serena accepted his reasoning with a nod. "You're always on the move. You can hardly sit still half the time. I'm not surprised you can't stand being stuck in small spaces." She was relieved that Ash was okay. So relieved, and additionally, she was okay. The thought of being trapped in this to,b hadn't exactly been a pleasant one. She rested her head on Ash's shoulder, totally exhausted by all this mess. Doing this normally would have made her go red. Now she just didn't care enough, due to fatigue.

"I guess so." Ash admitted with a small amount of humor to his voice. It was all rather ironic. He hated staying in one place, but he had spent two years stuck in his hometown helping Professor Oak. And now, those two years of knowledge were helping him and Serena stay calm in this rocky hut.

Ash sighed and looked around the very dim room he had to call a tomb, just out of boredom, mostly. He looked all around, just inspecting and looking at the various patterns around the place, until his eyes landed on his eventually landed on his right arm.

"...Serena?"

"Yeah?"

"Why... Your ribbons... On my arm."

Leaning up a bit to see what he meant, Serena's eyes landed on her ribbon. "Oh, right. You had a mark on your arm... So i used that as a bandage, to stop the bleeding."

"But... It's ruined now."

"So?" Serena asked, resting her head on Ash's shoulder again. "I'd rather the ribbon be ruined rather than you be." She spoke with such honesty, such truth, it made Ash blush. She didn't even have a hint of embarrassment in her voice as she said it.

It felt like she was returning the same sentiment that Ash had shown her the day he had given her the ribbon. That night before her first showcase, her first failure. The same Serena whom cut off her hair and made it short, just to show how dedicated she was to moving forward. The sentiment Ash had shown was his absolute and total faith in her. She had returned that sentiment, albeit in a far more practical way.

"...Thanks." Ash said, with a warm smile, although it wasn't likely to be seen in the dark.

Both of them sat in the darkness in a comfortable silence laying over them. The two of them barely even needed to speak to understand the others feelings. They were both warm, but not to the point of discomfort. Still unknowing about what was happening outside, they remain close, but hopeful.

Was Miette okay?

Was Pikachu okay?

What did Sierra and Beta want?

Would they be found?

Were they really safe?

There was a long list of questions that had to be asked. A long list of things they had to figure out once they were out of here. If they got out of here. Weirdly, neither of them was even slightly concerned. Despite the initial reaction, just being next to one another gave the other comfort. Calm confidence that everything would be okay.

"Ash... Can I ask you something?" Serena asked, quietly.

"Sure." Came Ash's reply.

"...Do you still plan to go to Igneous?"

"...Yeah. I do."

"Oh..."

"Why?"

The first time their silence had been uncomfortable came from Serena trying to figure out how to express her feelings. What she wanted to say, but how to say it. It took her a few minutes to figure out.

"...Because I don't want you to go."

"Serena?" Ash's response was of shock, surprise almost.

"Ash... When we first met each other, you inspired me to do my best, always... No matter what it was, or how I tried to achieve it, no matter how often I screwed up, you told me to keep going, to not give up. And I listened. And improved. And I became... The one I am now. The better me…

When I lost in my first showcase... I cried. I cried so much, away from you, from Clemont and from Bonnie, because I couldn't stand you to see me weak like that. You taught me to be strong. To have faith in myself, and I'd failed that. I couldn't... I just couldn't let you see me like that. I... I didn't want pity. I wanted your approval, your praise, not sympathy... So I hid my tears from you, and cut my hair, because I wanted you to see just how serious I was about changing, about becoming stronger." The words just kept coming. There was no stopping them.

"When you left... It hurt... I spent two years, just thinking, 'How is Ash? Is he okay? Where is he? Does he... Even remember who I am?' I just wondered around the entire region. I made three full circuits around all of Kalos before you told me you were coming back..."

Ash stared directly ahead of him. Not looking at Serena.

"And now you're here... And for the first time... In over two years... I feel happy to have you here again... And I... I can't bear the thought of you going again... I..." Serena chocked on her final words for a brief moment, before she found the strength to finish her sentence.

"I love you."

Silence.

"...A-Ash?"

Serena hadn't been the one to say it. Ash had said those words. The three words that she just couldn't force herself to say. She looked at the Kantoean. He was staring straight ahead still, but he was dark red. Every time he glanced at Serena, he flinched and looked back. He clearly forced himself to say the next few words, not out of disingenuous reasons, but out of sheer embarrassment.

"I said, I love you. I don't mean that in a friendly way. I don't mean it like you're a sibling. Serena, I am in love with you." Gritted teeth and a gut of iron was all that had helped him say that. "I... Wanted to be the one to say it. Sorry if I... Kinda stole your thunder."

'The hell with that!' Was all Serena's mind screeched. Either she was dreaming, knocked her head on a rock on the way down, had suffered a serious concussion... Or every single one of her dreams about the boy in front of her were about to become a reality.

"Look..." Ash said, forcing himself to look at Serena, her eyes wide, but not a tint of red on her face. She was in so much shock, her blush hadn't even registered yet. "The entire time I was in Kanto, stuck there, all I could think about was getting out of that lab. But Igneous... Igneous was a getaway... But when the time came... All I could think of was Kalos... Of you." Ash's confession finally helped Serena's face acquire its blush. "Seeing the sights of the Kalos region... Feeling like I needed to train more... Like I had forgotten something here..." Ash chuckled. "All a ton of garbage."

"Ash?..."

"There was only one reason I wanted to come back to Kalos. One reason, and I'd managed to convince myself that it was just one reason in a list of many. The only reason I wanted to return to this region..."

Ash and Serena's eyes locked. Serena's heart raced, and Ash's blood was practically on fire.

"...Was you."

It had been quick. Far quicker than Ash had wanted. He had wanted to take his time with Serena. Only a few weeks after seeing her again, it felt rushed... But then again, they were trapped in a cave, without the guarantee of escape... And he had known he had wanted to be the first of the two of them to confess. In the bizarre scenario that Serena was going to confess to Ash, Ash knew he wanted to say it before she did. It was a weird impulse he had felt when the idea came into his head, over a year ago when in Kanto. He wanted to say it first. He just felt he had to.

Serena meanwhile, had barely even registered it. What happened felt like a dream. It had to be. She couldn't acquire the energy to hug Ash. She just rested on his shoulder, far more comfortably than before, and repeated the words, over and over. "I love you..."

Neither of them had seen it happening this way. Although, neither of them particularly cared too much. It had been said. It was in the air.

They could deal with it later.

* * *

"Serena?"

To her immense surprise, Serena found her head resting on Ash's lap. They were still in the cavern, of course, but somehow, it seemed lighter. Less of a trap, and more of a room.

For a second, Serena absolutely dreaded the worst. "Did... Did I..."

Ash reassured her with a smile. "I love you." He rested a hand in her forehead. "You didn't dream it."

Hearing it again really was something Serena was not expecting, and she shot up quickly, onto her feet and a meter from Ash, whom watched in amusement. "O-Oh!"

Ash grinned. "Look." He said, nodding to her immediate right.

The rock was slowly retracting into the ground. It told both of them what they needed to know.

It was a Rock type Pokemon that had put them in this hut. Once they peered outside, they could see what Pokemon it was. To Serena's half shock, half expectancy, it was a Rhyhorn.

"Of course..." Serena said with a sigh.

The process to release them took only a few minutes. They thanked the Rhyhorn many, many times. They then went to find out what the hell had happened to their friends,

"...Can we... Talk about this later?" Serena asked, timidly. She was excited, overjoyed, thrilled - But she needed a few hours to remind herself, this was her reality.

Ash nodded. "Whatever you need."

* * *

 **This certainly evolved into its own thing. I cannot tell you how many drafts of this thing I have stored in my head.**

 **I know I'm a week late, but there are actually a list of reasons for it this time - I promise!**

 **Number one, being that**

 **I have been focusing heavily on my independent work 'Bloodshot' on Wattpad. It's taken up a great portion of my time and writing energy, especially since I make each chapter a minimum of 10,000 words. Id love it, absolutely love it, if you went and checked it out. I cannot tell you how much effort has gone into that story. I must have at least 30 character bios for that story planned, and have gotten huge help from other authors like Metakingiant. Huge shout out to him, by the way.**

 **The second reason being, my final week of college for this year has been coming up, and I've needed everything to get ready.**

 **Thirdly, Youtube... That's become a pretty common excuse lately, hasn't it?**

 **And finally... Well, this is a long one, so stick with me.**

 **Last week i finally caved in to what I call Tumblr Taunting, and finally gave Miraculous Ladybug a chance. About six hours later, I was yelling at my monitor for the two main characters to kiss, so yeah, pretty safe to say I freaking love it. I now find myself in a position in which I want to write a story on it to help cope with the half a year wait until Season 2.**

 **Which brings me to this point.**

 **I feel that it's time to take a small step back from Amourshipping for a few weeks. Give myself the chance to breathe again. I've updated Amourshipping fanfics for you guys once a week for a year and a half, and I think I'm burned out on it - But it will remain my OTP, and you can be damn sure I'm not letting Serena go out with Alola. She will remain on here, if nowhere else. So here's what I'm thinking.**

 **Love, Loss and Loyalty will be finished. I Promise that, but i get the next six weeks off of college due to the end of the year, and i need to refresh myself. So what I'm gonna do is make Love Loss and Loyalty a side project for a short while, while I focus on Bloodshot and Miraculous works. I promise right now, this story will be updated, but after practically breathing Amourshipping for roughly 580 days straight, I need a chance to try something else.**

 **If you haven't watched Miraculous Ladybug, its essentially a superhero version of what we all know we'd make Pokemon X and Y if we could. Its essentially shipping fodder, and its glorious. I need to same energy i had writing fanfictions when i began writing them for you guys, and i feel a fresh story might help me do that. You don't have to read it, but if the series interests you, or if you're just bored of seeing memes on Tumblr and not have a clue what the hell is going in on, like i did, give the series a chance.**

 **For the record, any links for anything you may wanna check on mine will be on my profile.**

 **Anyways, that's it from me. To recap - Busy with lots and lots of writing, go check them out, and be prepared for a few new stories from different franchises on here. I hope you enjoyed, and ill see you in whatever it is, i do indeed, decide to write next. See ya!**


	22. Love

Little trace of Miette or their Pokemon was to be found once they managed to claw their way back to the battlegrounds of the previous day. No signs of Sierra or Beta. Or whoever that Psi character had been. No signs of a fight either. No signs of anything.

Like it hadn't even happened.

That was a worrying thought. Without their Pokemon, there was very little they could so. Worried as Ash was for Miette and his Pokemon, he knew that without them, he couldn't do anything, even if they found them and their aggressors.

It was for that reason they had decided that the best conclusion would be to travel to the next town regardless. They simply had to hope Miette, Pikachu, and all their Pokemon had managed to run there to safety, to inform someone of what had happened to the two of them.

* * *

Once they had set off, they had only gotten about halfway through the route before rain made journeying impossible. The raindrops were roughly the same size as a tiny pebble, but that was still large for raindrops. They were lucky, as there was a cave system nearby that they could hide in... Although, since their entrapment with a cave barely a few hours ago, neither of them particularly wanted to. Unfortunately for them, neither of them had a choice.

The cave had a breeze running through it, cold on their soaked skin. It wasn't a particularly deep cave, more live a cavern, going into the cliff-side it was located in only a few meters. There way roughly a meter in moving space width wise, making it about half as big as the cave they had been stuck in. This cave also produced a light echo to the smallest noise, which bounced back at the Kalosian and the Kantoean.

Watching the rain fall rapidly, Ash moved a bit further inside the cave, as drops of water were finding their way into falling inside the caverns entrance. "Wonderful." He muttered sarcastically to Serena. "First, we get trapped. Next the rain tries to wash us away, and finally, we end up stuck in a cave again." He smirked as he said this, trying to lighten the mood.

It didn't work. Serena had barely spoken a word since they had escaped their cave entrapment. As it stood, to her, she was simply embarrassed by everything that had happened.

What was it that had her embarrassed? Well, she had basically confessed her deepest feelings towards Ash, that was a good place to start. Not only he she confessed, she had poured her heart out. Put everything into it, despite nit actually meaning to. It just seemed to... Happen, and now she was stuck with the consequences.

But Ash said he loved her as well.

So what was it she was nervous about?

Irrationality had spread throughout her entire system by the time they had decided to head to the next town, and just hope beyond hope the rest or their group had run on ahead. Had Ash been telling the truth? Was he lying? He had responded so easily compared to her.

Had he been making it up to make her feel better?

"Hey." Ash called for Serena, shattering the icy tension between the two of them, and Serena's thought process. She looked at him, and wasn't able to tell if his face resembled seriousness or relaxation. Clearly he knew he had to deal with this, but he seemed to be smiling almost, but not quite. "I think we need to talk."

The honey-blonde girl simply went red and nodded softly. She couldn't bring herself to speak.

Knowing Serena wasn't going to be able to start the conversation, Ash sighed, and decided he would have to. "...Do you regret what we said to each other?"

Looking at the raven haired Kantoean in front of her, she considered, only for a brief second. Did she? Would things have been easier if she hadn't said it? Would they be less awkward? Or would they just build up until later, making things worse? "I don't know..."

"Did it... Happen how you wanted it to?" Ash asked, knowing it was a silly question. How many people wanted their confession of love to be from inside what was essentially a cell?

"I don't know..." Serena honestly didn't know how she had wanted it to go. She had imagined it In a whole lot of ways, but she didn't know which one she wanted overall.

Raising a curious eyebrow, but keeping his calm face, with the hint of a smile, he then asked, "So... Why did you say it?... Or, well, try to, I guess, before I cut you off."

"I don't know..." Serena answered, putting a bit more emphasis on the final word. Her mind was a muddle, a maze of complicated feelings and a throbbing heart. She had no honest clue. She didn't know anything anymore.

With a slight laugh, Ash's face turned into a bright smile. "Then, what do you want to know?"

Serena blushed, and waited a good fifteen seconds before she answered, considering her choice in words very carefully. She could offend Ash just by asking this... But she had to. "I... Want to know... If you meant what you said."

"Completely and utterly sincerely." Ash responded, without pause. He smiled warmly at the girl in front of him, who was now looking back at him with wide eyes. "I meant every word of what I said. Never think that I didn't."

Completely speechless would be an understatement. How was he saying things like this so... So calmly? How was that even possible? Wasn't he even slightly nervous?

"Serena... If I'd know I'd be as miserable as I was before I left Kalos, I never would have left." Ash said, looking like he was saying something he'd been yearning to say for years. Technically, it was. "Clemont. Bonnie. You. I'd have never left if I'd known how much I was gonna miss all of you... But you in particular. Serena..." The Kantoean was blushing, albeit lightly. The truth of the matter was, he was beyond nervous, but the more he spoke, the less nervous he felt, so he just talked, with confidence and pride. It was really the only thing from keeping him from shutting down altogether at this point. "Serena, I care about you. So much. I really, really do... I'd wanted to - You know know, say it for a while now..."

A word for word description of how Serena had been feeling. the exact same way Ash was saying he felt. Feeling slightly more comfortable, she forced herself to ask him a similar question, "So... why didn't you?"

"Nervous. Worry. Paranoia." Ash said, listing off the various reasons. "Not a good time to tell you. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to... Lots of things..." He sighed. "At the end of all that, I still didn't get the perfect opportunity to tell you before it was forced out of us, did I?"

He felt guilty. Serena could see that on his face. He felt genuine guilt that he hadn't been able to confess in the way he had wanted to. His vision of perfection that he had wanted to confess under. It was pretty unlikely that that would have been inside a rocky cave after getting thrown off a cliff.

But Serena hadn't wanted a perfect confession.

She just wanted to let Ash know how she felt. Maybe she wanted a perfect moment to tell him, but she never really wanted a perfect confession. A confession would be awkward no matter how you did it. They were feeling the after-effects of that right now. It was unavoidable.

"Ash... You don't need to feel guilty about it." She told him. "All I've wanted to do... For a long while now... Is just... Let you know how I felt towards you. And... To heard that you felt the same way that I did... That's all I need for a 'Perfect confession'. " She managed to look at him now, smiling at him.

The smile that she emitted was enough in itself to make the Kantoean smile back at her. And just like that, the tension between them melted, into a warm, comfortable feeling of content. they both knew now. there really wasn't anything to feel embarrassed about anymore. Both their hearts were beating at a mile a minute, but they were alright with that now.

"So... what happens now?" Ash asked, awkwardly. He hoped Serena had a better idea on what the heck happened next, because he had absolutely no idea.

"To be honest... I don't know..." Serena confessed, lightly red. "I-Isn't this usually when people ask each other out on dates, like in the movies?"

"Y-Yeah..." Ash replied, looking out at the still heavy downfall. "...But I feel like we have more pressing matter than that right now..."

"I know, you're right." Serena nodded, fully in agreement. "Maybe when it's over?..."

"Once we find Miette and all out Pokemon." Ash told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. Despite the danger, the worry and the urgency that both of them should have felt, they were both so relaxed. they felt so calm, so totally out of touch with the rest of the planet, that they couldn't even begin to find themselves embarrassed with the lack of space between them.

"Good..." Serena sighed, and rested her head on Ash's shoulder. Before Ash could even comment on it, she was fast asleep, the emotional exhaustion she had been feeling up to this point now finally drained her completely.

Ash was reminded of back at the Castle Revolution tournament, when she had last fallen asleep on his shoulder. That had been when she had cried her eyes out from sheer worry about him.

now she was resting their out of comfort. Out of love.

Ash knew which he preferred, and wrapped his arm around her. No, It hadn't been a perfect confession. No, it hadn't gone how he had ever wanted or envisioned it. But to be honest, he was just as happy it had ended up this way.

* * *

 **Told you this story wasn't dead, guys!**

 **It's been a few weeks since I updated this story after taking a break from it. Had a lot of fun, and did a lot of things during that break, especially with my MariChat story (Which you should totally check out, I honestly think it's one of my best yet) and working on other things. Love, Loss and Loyalty will be completed, I cannot assure you guys of that enough. I will do my best to put my visions of this story into words. I promise, I will get this story done! Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than my usual stuff, but I felt like you guys just wanted SOMETHING.**

 **I haven't actually watched Pokemon for close to a year now, so I'm pretty much running on memory. Maybe that's why I felt the need to take a break. you can only eat so much Jell-o before you end up being sick of it, that's what I'm trying to avoid happening with this story. Been spicing up the variety with Miraculous Ladybug and My Hero Academia - Both pretty damn good shows, damn good.**

 **Updates may be weekly or bi-weekly. Not entirely certain yet. I'll make sure you Amourshippers of my following have some stuff to sink your teeth into while I work on other projects. Thanks so much for your support and understanding of my need for a break, guys. You are some of the best followers on FF. net!**

 **As usual, you can find more on my Wattpad, for slightly sooner updates, and my YouTube for the other stuff I do during the week, all in my profile. If you cant find them while looking for them, don't hesitate to PM me and ask. I'd link it here, but ff. Net likes to delete links.**

 **And as usual, I will see you, in whatever it is, I do indeed decide to write next. See ya!**


	23. Disbelief

Miette paced across the lobby of the Pokemon center with her teeth sinking into her thumb. How long had it been? How close a call had it been? And more importantly, where the hell were Ash and Serena?

She hadn't been given much of a choice. In a split second, she had the options of protecting the Pokemon, or fighting against opponents she knew for a solid fact she was weaker than, and would not be able to win while outnumbered three to one, and with overwhelming odds.

She had chosen to protect the Pokemon.

And she hated herself for it.

How could she have just run like that? Where were Ash and Serena? Why hadn't she heard from them yet? She had seen the fall... And she had still run. If they were hurt, that was her fault...

And she'd never, _ever_ forgive herself for that.

The very second she had gotten into town, she had reported the incident to the police officers, and taken the Pokemon to the Pokemon center for treatment. Many of them were battered and beaten from the battle she had been engaged in. Others were just totally exhausted, depleted of their energy in their totality.

"Urgh..." She muttered to herself. She felt physically sick to her stomach. Sick with her own actions. She had done what she thought was the right thing in the moment... But now that the moment had passed... She regretted it so much. She was sick with worry for her friends. She wanted to go back out there right now, to look for the two of them. Standing here was driving her insane.

Really... How dare she even call herself their friend?

"Oh. You're here too?"

For a brief moment, Miette thought she heard Ash's voice. Turning quickly, she found out that she had been a bit too excited for her own good.

In actuality, it was Paul. The purple haired Sinnoh native that she had found herself partnered with only a few days ago in the Castle tournament.

"Paul?" Miette asked in disbelief. Blinking hard twice, she made sure she wasn't in some sort of panic-induced hallucination. She hadn't expected to see him again, and definitely not so soon. Under any other circumstance, she would probably have been happy.

Paul seemed to scan the room around the two of them. They were the only two in the lobby, Paul having been on his way to leave. The two of them must have spent a day or two under the same roof, completely unaware of the others presence there.

"Where are Ash and that blonde girl? Did they leave you? Or are they somewhere else?" He asked callously.

Miette found herself explaining the situation to the purple haired trainer. He seemed awfully relaxed regarding everything that he had been told. Then again, Ash had mentioned that Paul probably didn't consider him a friend. The chances were far more likely that he just didn't care for what had happened at all. His emotions didn't seem to change no matter what Miette told him, and the blue haired girl really wanted him to show some sort of compassion, some sort of emotion. Could he help? It was better than just sitting here for hours on end...

"You did the right thing." Paul told her once she had explained. He patted her shoulder twice and walked towards the exit. "If I know that pathetic moron like I think I do, he'd probably do the same thing in that situation."

Confused by his words, Miette followed him, noticing him grabbing a Pokeball from his belt, and enlarging it as the sliding doors opened for him. Once outside, he tossed the spherical capsule into the air, releasing a speedy bug type Pokemon, Ninjask, from it's container home.

* * *

The fact that Serena was even able to walk next to Ash right now was amazing in itself. She felt like her head would have exploded thanks to the heat her cheeks felt right now.

They had confessed love for one another. Mutual love.

And it was so freaking awkward right now.

Their confession had not even slightly been typical. Didn't a typical confession end in a kiss, or a hug, or something?

Then again, they had more critical priorities.

But wouldn't they at least discuss it more than they had?

But he had said he wanted to date her...

"Uwaaa..." Serena sighed. she had no idea what she was thinking at this point. Her mind was all over the place.

"You okay, Serena?" Ash asked, turning around from up ahead of her. His brown eyes conveyed a silent, but gentle worry and concern for the Kalosian girl.

Serena went a crimson color and tried to cover her face with her hands. "I-I'm fine! I'm just... I don't know - I'm sort of a bit anxious about things is all!" Technically, she wasn't even lying.

Ash nodded in his understanding. How he was so calm completely baffled Serena. Part of her wondered if he even understood basic social etiquette. Or was he really so dense he couldn't even register embarrassment? One part of her was amazed, the other infuriated.

He was just focused on making sure his Pokemon, his friends, were okay.

That was what Serena's rational part was telling her. And she knew that it was correct. Ash was just that sort of person. The kind to push his own emotions to the side when it came for the safety of his friends. He'd put aside his own anxiety, fears or anger if it would help his friends. It was just one more thing Serena admired about the Kantoean.

Serena wasn't as good at doing that as Ash was. She'd let herself worry for hours on end over simple, trivial stuff that didn't really matter, like how her hair looked that particular day. And right now, her mind could only really focus on their confessions to one another...

"Hah!" Ash suddenly chuckled to himself from up ahead. "I wonder how Miette is gonna react to what happened with us."

 _'Oh God, Miette.'_ Serena though, blushing again. She was going to never let this drop was she? Oh the embarrassment that baker would cause. The teasing. "Oh _noooooooo_..."

"Huh? What's up?" Ash asked, stopping in his tracks for a second to allow Serena to catch up.

"Sorry!" She replied. "I just... Hadn't thought about that."

"Don't you want to tell her?"

"I do... But... I don't know. I still don't think I've processed it..." Serena confessed. She felt embarrassed even talking to him... She wanted to scream out her frustrations. "I think... Everything that happened in that cave was just so... Unusual. So unexpected... So... Unlike anything I though confessing to you would be like..."

Ash understood. He was also the same with the blonde Kalosian, somewhat disbelieving it had happened.

He wasn't sure what it was that made him do what he did. Maybe he just wanted to assure Serena that this was, in fact, reality. Or maybe he actually wanted that assurance himself. Either way, he reached for her hand, and wrapped his hand around hers. Her skin was smooth, warm. Just that simple gesture, and everything suddenly felt like it fell into place around them.

"Does that help?" Ash asked with a smile, and his trademark toothy grin came out. "It helped me."

Surprised at first, Serena found herself smiling quickly. She looked at their holding hands, and allowed her hand to mirror the action Ash's hand, holding onto his as he had hers. His glove blocked most of the fleshy part of his hand, but just being like this reassured her, comforted her. Just what she needed. "It... Does help."

"I know things are weird right now." Ash said to her. "I get it. Everything really is weird. It's just so... I don't even really know how to explain it, Serena, but I feel the same way you do. But... I think..." she could see, in his chocolate brown eyes, he was choosing his words carefully. "I think... Things will get clearer for us. I'm certain they will."

When he wanted to, he really had a good way with his words. Serena nodded and smiled. "Yeah."

In that moment, the two of them heard a rustling. for a second, they feared that Synthcorp had shown up once again, ready to strike them out of the blue.

Instead, they found it was a Ninjask, shooting from the shrubbery. It seemed to focus on Ash and Serena, inspecting them over and over again, quickly darting from place to place at impressive speeds.

"Is that?..." Ash wondered aloud. "Are you..."

"Ash! Serena!"

Both of the young trainers turned, to see Miette and Paul running towards them, Miette with tears of relief in her eyes. She threw herself into a hug with Serena as soon as she reached the two of them, totally ignoring their hands being held.

* * *

 **I felt you guys had been waiting a bit longer than you should have been with this story. Sorry ^_^'**

 **This is something I threw together for you all. While it's more of a filler-y chapter, it does have significance to the story for those of you who have a keen eye and imagination.**

 **So... How well is Ash doing in the Kalos league guys? Being ever the pessimist, I still think he won't win. : / Alain works for Flare, so here's whats gonna happen for our favorite Raven haired trainer.  
A - He wins, or  
B - He loses, defeats Alain and team Flare in the upcoming episodes, but turns down the Championship due to losing the official match. **

**That aside, I'm AMAZED how accurate One Day Off was in hindsight. Holy Christ '-' Sorry guys, If I'd known I could make things happen just by writing about them, I'd have given us all superpowers, My Hero Academia style, years ago.**

 **At any rate, I do hope you guys have enjoyed this little chapter I put together for you. you can find more on my Wattpad, GamingEmpire, where I have a slightly sooner uploading shedual for you guys.**

 **You can also follow my YouTube, where I mock anything and everything that dares exist.**

 **My Tumblr, GamingEmpire, is also open for you guys to follow. I'm taking suggestions and ideas from you guys regarding my works.**

 **The links to everything are in the description of my profile. If you need help finding something, don't hesitate to PM me. and I will see you guys in whatever it is, I do indeed, decide to write next. See ya ^_^**


	24. Curious

"There wasn't any way I was gonna be able to win. Their Pokemon were so powerful... And my Pokemon aren't trained for a long, drawn out fight. So, I had to run... I took all of your Pokemon too, because I didn't want them to get hold of them." Miette had explained her reasoning for why she left them in explicit, unaltered detail. The guilt the blue haired girl felt was unreasonable, illogical, as well as unrequired. "I'm so sorry. I didn't want to, but I didn't feel like I had a choice."

"You didn't." Ash reassured her, with a hand sympathetically on her shoulder. "I'd have probably done the same in your position."

"That's garbage." The baker sighed. "You were already putting up a fight before you got sent over the cliff..."

"Yeah, when it was an even fight. I couldn't have taken them all on by myself. I'm not a God of battling."

Having been led back to the town, and to the Pokemon center, Ash and Serena had had their wounds seen to by a medical professional. Serena's wounds were negligible, only needed a few band-aids and plasters. Ash's wounds required some disinfectant. His leg had gotten an infection, but it wasn't a serious case.

Although, treatment of that wound certainly hadn't been pleasant. There had been clenched teeth and grunts through the pain.

Paul being there had surprised the Kantoean. He knew that he and the Sinnoh native seemed to run into one another a whole lot whenever they were both traveling the same region, but this seemed to be the shortest gap of them seeing one another he had on record. A couple of days at most.

Still, he was grateful. He hadn't needed to go out of his way to help search for the two of them with Ninjask. Ash would even go as far as to say it was somewhat out of character for Paul to have done so. Still, he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I keep telling you that." Paul said flatly. He was stood a bit away from the group, leaning against a wall, with his arms folded. He wasn't so much engaged with the conversation as he was listening to it, only occasionally contributing to it. "There's only so much a person can do in a situation. I told you he would have done the same.

"If you hadn't gotten out of there, all our Pokemon would have been taken." Serena reasoned with Miette calmly. She understood her friend hated the feeling of being completely helpless in a situation. But she also did think, in her heart of hearts, that Miette did the right thing.

"I'm a bit more concerned with Synthcorp now." Ash muttered, sitting down opposite Miette. "It's a good job you reported it was them, but now no one who works for them can even be found. They've basically become invisible."

"It's a good thing you told the police about them, Miette." Serena told her friend kindly. Miette looked at her with a weak smile, but it was clear it hadn't been enough to raise the blue haired baker's spirits.

"Now the police have an idea, you should let them handle the situation." Paul told the group. He was given three sets of eyes staring at him in return, so he decided to elaborate further. "From what I saw, Synthcrop are absolute savages. All you people would be doing is putting yourself in danger, as well as hindering official police attempts to stop them."

Although Ash hated to admit it, the purple haired Sinnoh native had a valid point. Synthcorp had two members that Ash was aware of, Sierra and Beta, and both were tough like steel. He dreaded to think what the other members of that group would be like, and how strong they would have to be. If everyone was to the same battle standards as Sierra and Beta... They wouldn't stand a chance.

"I don't like it, but he's got a point." Ash conceded. "With our strength... We would only get in the way..." Although, he knew one thing very well.

He gripped his knee with his hands. He had no intentions of going out and looking for them... But... If he ever ran into those people from that company again, and they tried to hurt any of his friends, he wasn't going to rest until their headquarters went up in flames.

* * *

Ash and Serena found themselves alone on the balcony on the second floor of the Pokemon center that night, when everyone else had retired to their rooms for rest and relaxation. Serena had knocked on Ash's door, asking to speak with him. He knew why. Both of them had made their way onto the balcony, where the wind was blowing lightly against them, the cool air refreshing both of their heated skins.

Neither of them really knew what to say since their... Charitably called, haphazard confession to one another. Both of them were awkward around one another. Neither had told Paul or Miette yet, because they didn't know how to bring it up.

Serena, in truth, couldn't have been happier with what she had heard... But looking at Ash now... She had fallen in love with the happy-go-lucky Ash. The energetic Ash. The Ash that never seemed to be down. And this wasn't him... And she couldn't help but feel that it was all because of her, and what she said. "Um..." What was best for him... That was what Serena was concerned about the most. That was what mattered. Not what she wanted. "Ash... I-If you want to... Go back to how things were... And just... Forget everything that happened, I - I completely understand..."

Eyes wide open, Ash looked at Serena, with his hands up, like he was surrendering. "What? No, no, that's... That's not what I was thinking." Ash reassured her, quickly. "Not at all... I'm... I'm really glad we said what we did to one another... It'd... It had really been eating away at me for months... But... I'm just... I don't really know what to do now." The Kantoean confessed. He had no idea what they were supposed to do in this situation. He knew next to nothing about dating someone, about being in a relationship with someone. He didn't know how to show someone affection as a boyfriend. He didn't know the first thing about the dating scene... He wasn't sure how to go about things.

Hearing those words, that Ash didn't want to reset their relationship, made Serena feel so happy... But she also understood how Ash was feeling. Truth be told, she had no idea how to act either. She had never dated anyone. What were they supposed to do? "Well... I don't know either." She laughed, nervously.

It wasn't long before Ash joined in on the nervous laughter, and before long, it turned into real laughter. Days of anxiety and stress having built up to this moment of tension, now being washed away with laughter. It made both of them feel so much better, which in turn, made them keep laughing. Once they were able to calm themselves down, Ash managed to ask, "Do you think Miette would have any ideas?"

Serena leaned on the railing and looked out towards the city. She could see various lights from different buildings. Some were off, indicating the occupants were fast asleep. Others were on, showing the owners of those houses were still going strong and long into the night. Then there were some houses whose lights kept turning on and off, like someone was forgetting what they were doing whenever they went into a room. It created a lovely light show Serena couldn't help but get mesmerized by. "If I know Miette, she probably has a list of ideas for dates and the likes for us..."

"She that prepared?" The raven haired trainer asked, with a surprised tone of voice.

"She's been teasing me about my crush for... Months." Serena admitted with a blush.

"Ah... I'll bet that wasn't much fun."

"It wasn't all bad... She certainly... Kept my hopes alive for the time you've been gone." The blonde Kalosian admitted, moving a strand of her hair from her face.

Ash smiled. "You know... I know I told you this when I first got back to Kalos... But I missed you in Kanto. I really, really did."

"I missed you as well." Serena responded, with a soft smile of her own.

"No, I mean... I really did miss you. Took me a while... But while I was over there, I think I got a firsthand experience of what your feelings were for me... And I developed them in tow. I mean... I understand how hard it was for you to be separated from someone you liked... And that someone... Was... Me..." Ash admitted. "I started to feel for you back in Kanto...And now I know how you felt for all this time... And still you're willing to be with me?... You're a loyal person, Serena. You're amazingly loyal."

"You're the one who is amazing here..." Serena returned the compliment with a slight bit of breathlessness to her voice. "I mean... You never gave up. You never stopped believing in yourself. You never stopped trusting in your Pokemon... And you never gave up on your dream... I think it takes a very special kind of person to be able to do that... And that's you."

There had been a certain part of Ash that wanted to kiss Serena right there and then. Instead, he looked out to the town himself, taking in the view. They watched it together, in a comfortable silence, for a few moments, words not needing to be exchanged between the two.

"I don't need to go to Igneous." Ash stated, suddenly.

"Ash?" What was he talking about? Igneous? The region he had been planning on going to? Hadn't he been planning on going there since before he even stepped foot in Kalos? What was he talking about, not needing to go there?

"I don't need to go to any other region. I don't want to go to any other region..."

"What are you?..."

"I don't want to go anywhere if you're not there, Serena." Ash confessed. "You make me feel happy. Special. Important. And you told me those feelings are valid... I don't ever want to let them go now. I want to stay close to you... If you'd let me, that is."

With one swift motion, Serena managed to hug her crush / boyfriend tightly. The act of affection surprised the Kantoean, but he accepted to gesture, and returned it, tightly hugging her back. "Then you don't have to. I want to stay close to you too, Ash..."

They stayed there for a long time, just enjoying the warmth the other gave. This was different to every other hug the two of them had shared. This wasn't a hug of reunions they had had when they first saw each other again after all these years. This wasn't a hug of mourning that they had when they lost their match against the Synthcorp competitors. This wasn't a hug of closure that Serena had asked for when Ash had put himself in danger to protect his Pokemon, nor was it one of comfort, when both of them were trapped underneath the earths surface after being knocked off a cliff.

This hug was just nothing but warmth. Pure, loving warmth. Both of them could feel the other persons warmth, and their own stress and anxiety just wash away from their bodies. Everything was alright. It was all okay. The other one was there. They would be okay.

"Well..." Ash said, with a smile on his face that he couldn't hide if he tried. "I guess we'd better ask Miette what we're supposed to do during a date. I promised you one, didn't I?"

* * *

 **Been a while, hasn't it? When I start a story, I bloody finish it for you guys ^_^ While short, I hope it was something that you guys could enjoy reading. You've all been waiting way too long for me to get back to writing this, so I'm gonna attempt to get back to my One-Update-A-Week schedule with this story. You guys have been so patient with me. I will finish this story. Trust me on that.**

 **I do hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, be sure to follow my Wattpad, GamingEmpire, for earlier updates, more interactivity, and more fun with me and my writing ^_^**

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 **Links to everything is in my profile description as usual, and as always, I will see you in whatever it is I do indeed decide to write next. See ya!**


	25. Awkward

All predictions that Miette would either freak out or become insufferably smug as far as Ash and Serena were concerned were roughly 100% accurate. Finding her, she had still been corrupted with the guilt of leaving her friends behind to save the Pokemon. Such a disposition didn't suit the blue haired baker. There hadn't been a particular moment in Serena's life that stood out as a time she saw Miette even remotely close to what she was seeing now. Miette was energetic, cheerful, ever so slightly arrogant, and confident. She wasn't the type to mope, at least not for as long as this.

Clearly, her actions had haunted her. She regretted them, obviously, and immensely.

It didn't suit her.

Serena couldn't even begin to blame her friend for the actions she took. It just wouldn't be fair to, at all. Three to one against bewilderingly powerful opponents, her own Pokemon not suited for combat, and the two people who had a reasonable amount of battle experience had been thrown down a cliff. What other options did she, realistically, have open to her?

None. That's why running was a smart move. The only move she could make.

But perhaps that was what had been bothering her.

Regardless of that, hearing about Ash and Serena's little misadventure had lifted her spirits to no end. She had quickly become the smug and lively girl that both of them knew.

God, the amount of jokes she had made in that short time-frame.

How red Serena, and even Ash, had been by the end of her joking session.

"Aw, look at how red you two are!" Miette practically squealed, pointing out the enormous blush the two of them were currently sharing. She gently Pokemon Serena's flustered cheek, and pinched Ash's. "If only I could have seen how red you two were, trapped inside a cave with only one another for company..."

Her insinuation clear, Serena's ruby face went up to crimson. "It - That - That never happened!"

"Spoken like someone trying to hide what happened."

"Miette!"

"I'm just throwing just observations here, sweetie."

"You - " Serena shook her head of her blush before she continued, a slight waver in her speaking. "I... Um.. We were hoping you could, um, you know..."

"No, I don't." Miette was enjoying this. Way, way too much.

"Uh..." Ash spoke up, so Serena didn't have to. "We were sorta hoping you could, uh... We wanted to go in a uh... Date, so..."

"So you want my help." She'd known all along what they wanted. It was just more fun to watch them squirm around the issue. Despite her clear enjoyment of everything, and how she would love to keep cracking jokes all day, Miette was more than willing to help. "Okay, sure thing."

"Se-Seriously?"

"What d'you need help with?"

"Well... Sort of everything." Ash admitted awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Neither of us... Well... Know anything about dating."

Clapping her hands together and rubbing them together, Miette smirked. Her eyebrows furrowed into what could be called an evil face as she did so. "Oh boy, this is gonna be fun."

* * *

There was a lack of known ventures in the current town they were in. Miette had been here for a few days, but had never left the Pokemon Center, or the area immediately surrounding it, stressed about her friends' return. There weren't any fancy restaurants, or any traveling town attractions, or anything of the sort. Nothing that you could call a valid location for your typical date. Or your stereotypical date, anyway.

Miette wasn't what you'd call a stereotypical girl, however.

"You want the good news, or the bad news first?" She asked Ash after quickly surveying the town on a map. Both of them were sat at a table, both with a soft drink in hand, discussing what the plan was for his and Serena's date. This had been the primary thing that had needed to be discussed, and Miette had shooed Serena away while she and the Kantoean discussed the options they had.

They didn't have a lot.

Ash frowned. "Let's get the bad news over with..."

"Bad news is, there aren't a lot of tourist spots here. No spots stand out as 'date' hangouts."

"Well, great." Muttered Ash. "And the good news?"

"Good news is, I have a good eye." Smirked the blue haired girl. "There are a few spots and places that you should be able to take Serena to. Best part is, it shouldn't cost you anything."

"That... Seems sort of cheap, doesn't it?"

"Ash, after traveling with her for the last few months, I can promise you that Serena could not care less. She wants to spend time with you, and given the town we're in, I don't think that she'll be too upset with you for being 'cheap'."

"If you say so..."

"It's not like you've got much of a choice anyway." Miette added, showing him the map. "This place isn't exactly a tourist hot spot."

She wasn't lying, Ash discovered. This didn't even seem like a spot most typical travelers would be interested in to. There were no gyms further down this way, no battle areas, no challenges, no nothing. The area they were in was primarily deserted, in relation to the rest of Kalos, anyway. It reminded him of Pallet town in a sense. A small area, secluded away from the rest of the region. There were probably some young kids here who couldn't wait to begin their own journeys, like he hadn't been able to, all those years ago.

Unfortunately, there was also nothing here, like Pallet town. This place, Adorea Town, didn't have any sort of laboratory like Pallet Town had. God knows what they did for fun around here. Looking at the place, it wasn't a surprise no one often came here. Even the Pokemon centre was just obligatory at this point.

"Okay, so, what do we do?" Ash asked, his eyebrow raised as to just what the hell he could do on a date with Serena in this dead-end town.

"I'm glad you asked." Miette said with a smile. "There are a few parks and walking routes. There's a nice view at the edge of the town as well, so that should keep you two busy for a while."

"That's it? We just... Walk around?"

"Again, you don't have much choice." Miette pointed out, taking a long guzzle of her drink. She let out a long, refreshed sigh as she jabbed a finger onto the map to the next town along, Récit Town. "You could wait until the next town, but given what you told me... You two have some things to clear up."

She had a valid point, once again. Ash didn't like it too much. He felt like Serena deserved better. She was owed a far better excuse of a date than this, but he wasn't exactly swimming in options. And just calling off the date he had promised... That just felt like a jerk thing to do. He wouldn't do that to her.

So this was where he was at.

"...You really think she won't mind?"

"Serena isn't shallow, Ketchum." Miette warned, in an amused tone. "I promise you that she won't mind. She's an understanding girl. She isn't going to hold something you can't control against you."

"Alright." He sighed, not seeing another option. He'd take Miette's word for it, for whatever it was worth. "So... What's next?"

"Your outfit."

"Oh God."

* * *

Similar conversations were had with Serena, regarding the plans that Miette had set up. Of course, Serena had understood. It would have been unfair if she hadn't understood. She was just happy Ash had been serious about actually going out with her. She had been convinced, well and truly, that something would have come up to prevent it. The fact it was going ahead... That alone filled her with joy.

Of course, knowing that there wasn't exactly a lot to do here broadened her outfit choices. Since it was casual, there really wasn't a reason to go in a dress. She hardly expected Ash to be in a tuxedo for what was just walking around the place, so she didn't think a dress was needed either.

She was met with the dilemma of both wanting to look good, but also be practical and modest about it too. She spent maybe an hour going over various combinations of the clothes she owned, trying to find a set that worked.

In the end, she ended up choosing an outfit that made her look ever so slightly rugged. Seeing who she was about to go out with, it made a certain kind of sense. The outfit consisted of a deep scarlet red jacket, not unlike her overcoat, except this one had long sleeves that reached her wrists, and a zipper at the front, with a Pokeball icon located just on top of her right collarbone. Underneath that, a charcoal black shirt, to keep her warm if it got too cold out. Leg wise, she wore skin tight pants, grey in colour.

The outfit was intended to be more practical than it was appealing in all honesty, but looking at herself in a mirror, Serena had to say, she didn't look bad at all. Maybe more so than she could have done in a dress.

It wasn't like she even had dresses to go in anyway. She didn't carry them around much anymore, since the Performances were stopping for the time being. Whenever she needed one, she would ask her mother to send her one of the many she kept at home. Given the time frame, circumstance, and what she had to work with, this was probably the best alternative she could offer.

She spent a few minutes making sure that this makeshift look was at least as perfect as it was going to get as she stood in the reception area.

"You nervous?" Serena recognized that monotonous, indifferent tone as Paul. The skilled battler from the tournament. The one who's Ash had told her about his rivalry with him. He didn't seem particularly interested. More bored than anything.

"A bit..." She admitted. 'A bit' was an understatement. She was anxious as holy hell.

"Don't be." Paul said, flipping the page of his book. "He's as simple as they come. I don't even have a reason to care, and even I noticed. You'll be fine."

His words themselves were encouraging, but something about how this guy said them made Serena unsure. Perhaps it was because she didn't know him, and how his mind worked, but Serena couldn't figure out this purple haired boy. Something about him seemed... Off, and at the same time, he seemed on the up-and-up. It was weird.

Miette had mentioned how heroic he had been in helping her find them... But now he was cold.

"Uh... Serena?" Ash's voice filling the room caused the blonde girl to turn her head instantly, already having forgotten what she had been thinking about the stoic Sinnoh native.

From an objective stance, Ash's outfit was just the same, but with different colors. Instead of blue, his jacket was now fully grey, with black around the zippers and the holes that made up his pockets. Like Serena's, this went to his wrists. Like Serena, his pants were grey also, except they weren't skin tight. They were slightly more baggy, especially towards the bottom. His head was capless, and his hair still unkempt. That was fine though. Serena didn't mind that.

"Hey..."

"Hey..."

Neither could really say 'You look nice' to the other. Both were in, and they knew this fully well, what was essentially weekend-hiking clothing. Saying that would sound disingenuous.

Still, Ash tried. "I uh... You look... Good in red?" 'What was that?!'

"Th - Thanks... A - All grey, huh?..." 'What the heck am I saying?!'

"Yeah... Miette said it was the closest thing to a tux she could think of, so..."

"Do you two plan on being awkward there all day?" Miette asked, peeking her head from around the door. A grin plastered onto her face, enjoying this all too much. "Get the hell out there!"

* * *

 **Hopefully updates will be out weekly since college started. I write a lot when travelling, and Loyalty is what I write the most. Miraculous is what I write a lot of when I'm at home, so you Pokemon guys will finally be getting your fair share ^_^**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, be sure to follow my Wattpad, GamingEmpire , for more stories!**

 **You can also follow My YouTube, TheGamingEmpire for games, anime, and a planned review of Miraculous Ladybug!**

 **You can also follow my Tumblr, GamingEmpire, for blogs, artwork, sneak peaks, and more!**

 **Links to everything are in the profile as always, and I will see you in the next chapter of whatever it is I do indeed decide to write next. See ya!**


	26. Romance

Awkward was certainly a word to describe the feeling between the two. Enjoyment was another.

Both trainers were supremely awkward around one another that night, not entirely certain of what it was that they were supposed to say to the other person. A fair amount of the date was spent in total silence as they made their way from point A to point B.

But neither of them could even begin to claim that they weren't enjoying themselves. In the unsure sense between them, the two of them were very content with their current situation. They enjoyed being around the other person. They enjoyed just being close to one another. Words weren't something that needed to be used to express that. They probably wouldn't be able to anyway.

So they just enjoyed each others company. There wasn't a need to push that any further. That was all the two of them needed to be content tonight.

The parks that they had taken their evening walk through were empty, dark, brightened by street-lamps, Volbeat and Illumise, and very beautiful. Despite being a dead-end town, this place had some real natural beauty to it. Botanists and floral caretakers did their job here, clearly, with incredible skill and talent. Serena wasn't sure she had seen such a wide range of flowers and other such colorful plant-life. Clearly, Adorea Town took great pride in that.

"Wow..." Serena quietly awed at the beautiful park. "It's so beautiful..."

"Yeah..." Ash replied. He hadn't noticed all that much. He was agreeing because, frankly, while he was fine with the silence between them, he almost felt like he was obligated to speak at this point. Like they had to speak. They had a lot to speak about,

But he didn't push it. That would only make matters worse. Dense as the Kantoean was, he knew that he had to let this come naturally.

"Um... Are you okay?" Serena asked, the soft concern in her voice, as always, present.

"Huh? Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Ash stumbled on his reply, caught off guard by her question, and smiled again to cover it up. "Why'd you ask?"

"You just seem a bit... Off."

"I'm uh... Nervous I guess." Confessed Ash, glancing off to the side as he said so.

"That's not like you." Serena said, with a soft smile. She wasn't used to seeing him as anything other than a dense lunkhead. It was actually almost reassuring to see he had more complexity than battle-eat-sleep-repeat.

"This entire situation isn't like me." Ash chuckled, remembering just how bizarre this entire situation was to him. These feelings he held for the Kalosian girl, and the very nature of this night were all alien to him.

"That's true." Serena agreed, her gentle smile still on her lips. It seemed to deteriorate as she looked at the raven haired trainer in front of her. Part of her felt almost guilty for him even being here. Wouldn't he have... Better things to do? "You know... We don't have to do this, you know..."

"Huh?"

"I - I - This date I mean... I - If you want to... You know, go back.. We can do..."

"...What makes you think I don't want to be here?" Ash asked, worried for a moment he had seemed distant to her, despite not wanting to at all.

"I - I just..." Serena hesitated, not sure if she should go on, but did so. It was too late to back out of the sentence now. "I... I thought you might... Want to do something else... Rather than be here... You just haven't seemed... Like you want to be here..."

Smiling gently, Ash sighed. Leave it to Serena to put herself second and him first, despite him having been the one to even propose this date in the first place. It was like she had a talent for selflessness. "Serena, do you remember what I said when we got trapped in that ravine?"

' _I love you._ ' The exact pitch, tone, length and the silence afterwards had been engraved into her memory.

How would she ever, ever, be able to forget those words?

"I didn't say it for fun. I meant it."

Another eruption of blushes from the Kalosian. She was like an active volcano at this point.

It didn't help her calm down when Ash reached out and grabbed hold of her hand with his. It was one of the only times she could remember him without wearing any gloves, so she could feel the warmth of his skin from the contact, and good lord, was he warm. He went one further though. He also made it a point to intertwined their fingers together, and firmly clasped onto the blonde Kalosian performer's hand, and showed no signs of letting go anytime soon. "Come on, let's keep going."

He was already leading her away when he said it, not really giving her a say in the matter, but Serena noticed what he was hiding. A blush of his own. She reminded herself, he was just as nervous as she was. Though her throat went dry from her body heating up, she managed to tell him, "Okay."

* * *

Both still anxious, yet somehow, more relaxed than they were before, they kept walking along the route that had been planned for them. Their hands joined, now used to the warmth of the other, they were able to hold basic conversation at the least. Their conversations weren't particularly deep, nor were they inquisitive in any way. They were just mild conversations, about the routes they walked, the sights they beheld, their time in the cave, Miette and Paul - That one was basically led by Serena - And their recent escapades - That one was basically led by Ash.

It certainly wasn't a conversation bringing anything new to the table - But it was just incredibly enjoyable for the two awkward teenagers. Their conversations didn't need to be inquisitive to the nature of the Universe. Being around the other brought them both individual joy, there wasn't anything more required. They didn't need anything else. They didn't want anything else.

As they walked along, they became calmer and more comfortable with each other. The ease of tension made it far easier for them to enjoy their date.

Finding themselves on the final leg of their route however, wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience in the world. What the map hadn't shown them as this route was unbelievably rocky and it was the first pathway in this entire village that barely had any streetlights. There were a few, but they were few and far between. It made it difficult for the two of them to actually see where they were going, and both of them had plenty of trips and tumbles.

"This isn't as smooth as the rest of the routes..." Ash commented with a bit of a scowl, still firmly holding Serena's hand, leading her through the darkness.

"Why are we even coming this way?" Serena asked. "I mean, it seems out of the way..."

"Miette claimed there was a really nice view from this route. Apparently its not known to a lot of people, even the locals."

"And she found it on a map in about an hour?" Serena sounded incredibly skeptical, rather understandably.

"She hadn't steered us wrong yet." Ash defended, but the second he finished the sentence, he tripped up on an upturned rock in front of him. He ended up tugging at Serena as he said that, dragging her forward a step or two. "Sorry." He apologized quickly. "Scratch that, she might be starting to steer us wrong here."

* * *

He couldn't have been more wrong.

Though it took them several more minutes to figure it out, it was more than worth it. The route they had taken looped around, brining them to a slightly heightened natural balcony-like location. It overlooked Adorea Town from a distance, and the sight was nothing short of outstanding.

Because Adorea Town was a well lit town, there were hundreds, if not thousands of tiny lights dotting the landscape around the clearly illuminated town. Piercing the darkness, both trainers could see every building in the small, flower-prided living space, and it was beyond stunning. Absolutely beautiful. A small town hidden away in the Kalos region, that held total beauty in comparison to its rival towns in the region.

Like a beacon of light against the dark, night sky.

It was beautiful.

"Wow..." Was all Serena could gasp out when she saw the amazing sight.

Ash couldn't help but agree. He had no idea how the heck Miette had done it, but once again, she hadn't let them down. How she's done this with just a map amazed the Kantoean, but he wouldn't question it.

This was an absolute splendor of a sight.

The two didn't speak for the longest time. They didn't really need to. They just stared at this view, drinking it all in.

"Hey, Ash?"

"Yeah, Serena?"

"Um..." Serena's voice went up in pitch slightly as she bit her bottom lip lightly and fiddled with her fingers. It was a question she was nervous to ask, but felt had to be asked nonetheless. "What... Um... What... Are we, now?"

It took the raven haired trainer a few seconds to register what the Kalosian actually meant by that. When he did, his own face went red, equally as red as Serena's. It was a valid question to ask. A confession of love, and here they were on a date, yet there wasn't a specific term for what they were. Was it a relationship at this point? Was there a reason for it not to be? Would this sort of thing need to be specified? "Oh... Um... I'm... I'm not sure... What... What do you want to be?"

Serena went dark crimson. It said everything Ash needed to know.

"I... I don't see... There isn't a reason... That we shouldn't be..." Stuttering wasn't something Ash was used to doing. It almost sounded like someone else talking. "I - I mean... If... If you wanted... I'd be... Really happy to be able to call you my..." He stopped for a second, before whispering the word, "Girlfriend."

It wasn't possible for Serena to go any more red, unless she was to go the color of blood. The mere idea... The thing she'd wanted for so long... It was actually here. She swallowed and nodded. "I'd... I'd love that."

Both parties blushed, but the mutual knowledge that both of them felt the same way helped ease the tension, and they managed to smile at one another, even laughing lightly.

"Do we... Make it official then?" Ash asked, still red. His insinuation clear.

Serena nodded, though she had butterflies swimming in her stomach at about five-hundred miles a minute.

They spent an unspecified amount of time closing in to one another, nerves still screaming at them, but they ignored them completely as they came closer to one another than they ever had been before. It seemed a lot longer to them than it actually was. A second was an hour. But it was all worth it when their lips finally met. A jolt of electricity shot through them, and then it was over. As abruptly as it started. It wasn't even slightly like either of them had expected, but they were both warmer than boiling water.

They both separated, looked at one another, and finally, they smiled.

* * *

 **Well, there it is. There's the big kiss that I spent twenty freaking chapters building up ^_^ I hope it was worth it.**

 **Also... Sun and Moon Anime... *Sigh* I did call it, didn't I? God damn it ;-;**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, be sure to follow my Wattpad, GamingEmpire , for more stories!**

 **You can also follow My YouTube, TheGamingEmpire for games, anime, and a planned review of Miraculous Ladybug!**

 **You can also follow my Tumblr, GamingEmpire, for blogs, artwork, sneak peaks, and more!**

 **Links to everything are in the profile as always, and I will see you in the next chapter of whatever it is I do indeed decide to write next. See ya!**


	27. Satisfied

When Serena finally woke up the next day, there was a genuine moment where she feared the previous day had been a joke. A prank. An imagination devised by her subconsciousness. There was a small panic when she thought that maybe that perfect night had been just that little bit too perfect. What reassured her of its credibility were the clothes she had actually worn that day, lazily throw at the foot of her bed, since she couldn't be bothered to fold and put them away properly.

She had been absolutely exhausted when they finally got back to the Pokemon center at God knew what time. It was late, no doubt about that, and the fact they'd been walking around all night hadn't helped her fatigue. But considering how that night had ended, and the fact that she'd gotten to hold hands with him all the way back, she would have happily walked that same amount seven times over if it meant that she got to experience it all over again.

Her heart fluttered and she sighed happily once she remembered the kiss the two of them had shared. It had been short, electrifying, and not at all something she had expected, but she'd be damned if it didn't make her heart race.

Two years she had waited for that moment, and last night, it had finally arrived. She couldn't be happier. It just wasn't possible for the blonde Kalosian to be any happier right now. Part of her wanted to remain in bed all day, just so she could relive it, again and again in her mind, while basking in Ash's warmth. Or her bedsheets warmth, more accurately, but she had a good imagination.

So for a while, that's just what she did. Snuggling into the comfortable heat that her duvet gave her, closed her eyes once again, and imagined that she was back at that spot with Ash. That that moment lasted forever. That it didn't have to end. That it would last forever.

It wasn't until she remembered that everyone else was probably up and waiting for her to wake up and join them, and that Ash was one of them, that she finally decided to throw her duvet aside and change into her travelling clothes. No doubt Miette was going to have some choice words and jokes at her expense, but she couldn't care less about those wisecracks at her expense. She and Ash were dating! If it was possible for someone to literally get high on life, Serena would most likely be the most stoned person on the planet right now.

Not wasting any time, she threw on her red over jacket, completing her outfit, and after packing away all of her clothes and belongings into her bag, ready to head out, she threw open the door to her room, practically humming.

Until she saw Miette leaning against the wall, looking smug as smug could possibly be.

"What the - " Serena jumped, surprised to see her friend literally waiting for her to show up. "How - How long have you been waiting there?!"

"Long enough to hear you singing a happy tune." The blue haired girl smirked. If she could have made it any more obvious she was teasing her performing friend, she would have no doubt made it more obvious. It left Serena wondering just how much she knew about what had happened the previous night between her and Ash. "I take it the date went well, huh?" More than she was pretending to know, apparently.

Closing the door and forcing herself not to get giddy about the interactions the two of them had shared, Serena smiled and replied simply, "Good."

"You know I'm gonna press this until I know what happened, Serena." Miette reminded the blonde girl, falling in line alongside her, with that knowing look in her eye. After travelling with the baker for so long, Miette had displayed a very good ability to know when something was on Serena's mind, or when she was hiding something. And when she wanted to know something, she was probably the most persistent person Serena knew. She'd once pestered her over a text message for over two hours. "Come on, out with it. Hand holding? Hugs? Kisses?"

"I'm pretty certain that you know anyway." Sighed the girl, shooting Miette an expecting look. the expression Miette had basically confirmed it. She wasn't even going to attempt to deny it in the slightest. She knew. Miette knew exactly hat had happened. She must have forced it out of Ash before coming up to wait for Serena.

"Maybe I want to hear it from the source herself."

"Why?"

"Mostly because it amuses me." Typical.

"Why else?" Serena couldn't help but let out a small laugh. Part of her did actually sort of want to brag about what had happened. Normally she wasn't vain in the slightest, but there was a big part of her that wanted to rub in that she had won their ' _Race_ ' For Ash's affection, even if that race had ended via forfeit over two years ago.

"Well?"

"We kissed." Serena revealed, blushing lightly while she did so. It was a bit embarrassing to have to relent to her friends demands, but she felt no shame over doing so whatsoever. Quite the opposite, actually. She felt pride. Joy. She relived it yet again, for just a second.

"About time!" Miette smirked, patting her friend on the shoulder. It was the closest she was going to give to a congratulations. "Now you just have to make sure you don't set your own standards and you'll be walking down the wedding isle in no time."

"Wh - What the heck do you mean by that?! Setting my own standards?"

"So in that sentence, you choose to focus on the set standards thing as opposed to the marriage thing?" Miette smirked again, this time brighter, showing her set of white teeth in satisfaction of having caught out her friend. When Serena's eyes widened slightly in surprise and embarrassment of the baker pointing this out, Miette grabbed her into a sort of headlock. "You've really fallen hard, haven't you? I mean I knew you had before, but this is a whole new level for you, Serena."

"Why can't you just be normal and say ' _I'm happy for you_ ''?" Serena asked, struggling to get any oxygen into her system. With the way that Miette had a hold of her, Serena's windpipe was blocked, preventing her from breathing normally. She noticed that Miette was seeming to be behaving a lot more tomboyish than she normally would act, which was any level of tomboy at all. Maybe she was just enjoying having Serena at her mercy a bit too much.

"No fun in that, Serena." Miette let go and grinned, practically beaming for her friend at this point. Really, it was her way of showing that she was actually happy for the blonde Kalosian girl.

Serena readjusted her clothing and let out a sigh. She had to remember to watch Miette's actions around Paul today, as some ammunition for the next time she decides to try and tease her. To give her a little taste of her own medicine.

The two friends made their way into the Pokemon centers foyer, the usual meeting spot for whenever the group needed to get a move on, to start travelling for the day. Serena remembered what it was like two years ago, with Bonnie and Clemont during their original travels. How each time she'd go down there, Bonnie would excitedly greet Serena, and Clemont would be tinkering with something that would either solve all their problems, or cause an explosion. She'd always miss them, she knew. She'd miss the original group that they had, and there wasn't much else that there was to be said about that. Maybe one day they could all go and explore another region together. She knew it was unlikely. clemont had responsibilities as a Gym leader now, and Bonnie was gathering the experience she'd need to become a trainer in her own right. But she could hope.

She had Ash now though.

And there he was. Pikachu by his side, she saw the Kantoean with a duster, cleaning the Pokeballs his teammates resided within. She always knew that he took proper care of the equipment that he had, but she didn't want to disturb him right now for some reason. Smiling, she was rather content to let him finish up before announcing her presence.

"Hey, Ketchum, your girlfriend's here!"

And just like that, Miette had thrown that plan out the window.

she could have sworn that Ash's head shot around to face her far faster than it would have done on any other day, but upon seeing her, he couldn't help but beam at her. It was clear. He was in the same frame of mind that she was. Any lingering doubts about the authenticity of the previous nights events were well and truly dashed now. "Morning." Was all he said, his voice full of that warmth she was so in love with.

She couldn't help but beam back.

This was all real.

This was all fine.

This was how things were.

And this was how she wanted things to stay.

* * *

 **OKAY, I know I'm a little late in updating this, AND I know its short... No real excuse if I'm honest.**

 **This kind of got thrown onto the wasteside due to a lack of motivation with Serena leaving the group... And then XY140 Happened. Holy. Shit. I was wrong, I will HAPPILY accept this. It's rare for me to feel well and truly satisfied with an ending to a show. Pokemon is a franchise. They need to keep things as ambiguous as they can so they can keep going forward... But based on previous experience, we all know what happened. That was a lip kiss. Not a cheek one. They'd've shown a cheek one.**

 **So I'm satisfied with XYZ. I don't need more of it. This is how it ends. And if this is how Pokemon has to be, then I couldn't have asked for a better way for it to end.**

 **So thank you to The writers. Thank you for proving Cynical me wrong.**

 **I wont make promises on this story getting weekly or bi weekly updates anymore, because that's unfair. It'll be updated when it's updated, but with me now focusing my efforts, I may be able to get out better chapters for you all. I'll do my best.**

 **So for now, let's just enjoy the satisfying calm of the end of XYZ.**

 **We'll see you soon, Serena. I'm sure of it.**


	28. Rile

True to form, Paul had disappeared once again, without so much as leaving a shred of information as to where he was going, or even that he was going on ahead. At this point, it was becoming questionable if Paul was even aware of the confusion his departures spread, or if he even cared. Miette had once again been visibly either upset or pissed off, Serena couldn't actually tell the difference between the two at this point, but she seemed to recovery a hell of a lot faster this time. Ash had been right when he'd said that the group was bound to run into the purple haired trainer again, and they had done so almost immediately after the tournament had ended. So Miette figured that she'd see the Sinnoh native again soon enough.

Récit Town was the next destination for the travelling trio, a far larger town than the place they were currently in. Rècit Town would be like their gateway back to civilisation, and after dealing with the more traditional and laid back town, they were all in a desperate desire to find stores that were younger than a hundred years old, and actually had people who cut the grass and vines from naturalisation in the streets.

Ash seemed particularly thankful to be finally getting out of this quiet town. The lack of stimuli here reminded him of Pallet town a bit too much. He had travelled to get away from home, not be reminded of it and spend days on end in a town just like it. He loved his home town, obviously, but he was the adventurous sort, unable to stay in one place for too long. Especially a place where the most entertaining thing to do was go on a walk.

That was another reason he was looking forward to getting out of Andora town - He might actually be able to take Serena on a date date, not the cheap walk-about date that he'd taken her on, due to a lack of other options.

That was a prospect that excited him.

Her head buried in the paper folds of the traveler's map, Serena suggested a route that the group could take. "See, if we go along this route, we should be able to make it there within a couple of days, if nothing interrupts us." The path she suggested went hand-in-hand with a river that was present on the route, twisting and turning about the place. It was a horseshoe river, a small portion of the body of water cut off from the rest of it, forming a lake, due to a few hundred years of erosion and climate movements. In spite of these facts, and the roundabout route the river took, the scenery would be pleasant, and the route was safe, marked with pathways and footpaths. It wasn't exactly the most adventurous route on the planet, but logically speaking, if you wanted efficiency and safety, that was the route you wanted.

"That looks fine to me." Miette nodded her head in agreement, scanning over the route herself. While Serena's sense of excitement seemed lacking, she had chosen a perfectly viable route.

Slinging his backpack over his shoulders, Ash grinned to his companions. His partner Pokemon made itself comfortable on his shoulder, as trademarked. He would have made a motivated call to arms for their journey.

Had he not been cut off by the sounds the nearby television was making.

"In regional news, the Synthcorp company is under fire from various sources on the ethics of their operating methods."

The mention of that corporation, the name of the employers of a bunch of maniacs of whom the group had suffered a close call with on multiple occasions throughout their journey, caused heads to turn, sentences to be caught in throats, and eyes to widen.

"Those guys?" Ash questioned under his breath, his question sounding more like a growl than it did coherent language. It wasn't a secret that he had developed a hatred of Synthcorp, and considering what had happened to their group, it was a very understandable dislike.

He wasn't alone in this hate either. Serena and Miette shared his anger at them, and justly so. They all shifted their focus instantly to the information being relayed to them from the Television screen - Which, incidentally, was probably the most high-tech thing that this town even had.

"Since their opening just a few months after the Lumiose City incident, the company has spoke of ways to increase the strength levels inside Pokemon, by claiming to gather various data from Pokemon who would volunteer alongside their trainers at their research sites. Recent developments at the Revolution castle tournament held just a few days ago has had many people concerned with the morality of the employees working there after it was revealed that the tournament victors were indeed affiliated with Synthcorp." The new caster read from the papers on her desk. She seems almost uncomfortable, like she was having a problem remaining impartial.

"Many people have called the brutal levels of power and mercilessness of the Pokemon used into question, with, in many cases, the Pokemon whom went up against duo ended up with serious injuries that took several days of recovery time. Several sources even claimed that unethical methods have been used to give these Pokemon huge power boosts, with some accusations such as electroshock therapy and other barbaric practices." Definitely a slip up, but the word 'Barbaric' certainly showed the true colours of the news anchor. She was firmly anti-Synthcorp, no question. "While these allegations have been excused, there have been several incidents across the region regarding individuals claiming to have been attacked by employees from the company.

Since these accusations, Synthcorp heads have reportedly gone missing."

So, the leaders of the company had disappeared after sending their employees to attack and steal Pokemon from trainers they felt had strong partners?

How convenient.

Miette visibly shuddered, a chill having run down her spine. "Creeps."

"If they're attacking other trainers with strong Pokemon... Clearly they're confident... But I don't get it. What is their goal here?" Ash muttered aloud. He couldn't quite figure out what the group was trying to achieve. If they wanted to make their Pokemon stronger, than they had already accomplished that, via whatever sick means they had used to do so. So what did they gain by stealing other people's Pokemon?

"Current Lumiose City Gym leader Clemont will be taking a temporary leave of absence from both his gym, and Lumiose City, in order to investigate what he suspects to be a lead of some description in Rècit Town. He is approximating his stay there at a week."

Had Ash just heard that right? he blinked twice, half expecting the television to melt away and reveal he'd been imagining the last forty seconds of his life. Clemont was headed to Rècit Town too? Not only that, he was still working in investigations?

He glanced between Serena and Miette, whom seemed to be having the same ideas he was.

They needed to speak to the Electric Type Gym Leader. Tell him exactly what they knew. Maybe it would help identify Sierra, Beta and Psi, if nothing else.

* * *

 **I know its pretty short... But there really was no reason to make it long. I got what I wanted put into the story, so extending the chapter for the sake of it felt pointless. Sorry if this upsets you. Next chapter will be longer.**

 **Also, I noticed that its been a year since this story debuted... Wow. Two years since One Day Off as well. What a ride we've had, huh? Thanks for sticking around, everyone ^_^**


	29. Fury

"Okay, these trainers are starting to really piss me off now."

Sierra was scratching at her face repeatedly, like she had an itch that refused to die just on her cheek. She's been scratching it for a good solid five minutes now, pacing in a predetermined line back and forth in front of Beta, like she was rubber-banding back to the same spot on repeat.

That Ash Ketchum and his miniature harem had managed to get away from them, and to top everything off with a nice bow on the top, they'd managed to report Synthcorp's activities to relevant authorities. Along with that, a large number of failures region-wide had set the group back a large amount, leaving them scratching their heads as to their next moves validity and chances for success. A thousand victories made redundant by tens of defeats.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

"It's a Kantoean, and two Kalosians. Can someone explain to me why we can't kick them off a cliff or something and be rid of them?" The irritated female asked, showing off her teeth as she frowned and begun another pace across the room.

"Well you tried that already, and it evidentally didn't do anything." Psi responded from the corner of the room, his hood still kept up to conceal all of his features from being visible, even to his partners. he sounded amused by all of this, having to move his hand into a position where it would conceal a sile were he wearing one. "In fact, I'm pretty sure all you did was piss them off"

"You tried." Beta corrected. "We simply attempted to retrieve their Pokemon. Had they resisted, we would have taken to appropriate measures. Such excessive force was unrequired from the beginning of the conflict. It's failure has only made our groups reputation plummet further, making out future objective that much harder."

"So yeah, thanks for that, you wannabe assassin!" Exploded the pacing woman. Another series of scratches followed. Sierra wasn't used to being on the losing side, and it was beginning to get under her skin, like a rash. Sierra didn't do the losing side. She didn't lose. She refused to lose. "Seriously, what like, what - what even was your plan there? I'm genuinely curious!"

"Get rid of them, get their Pokemon was pretty much my motif. Didn't really care what happened so long as that goal was accomplished." The cloaked boys response was soft as it was arrogant. He wasn't showing a shred of remorse for the actions that he had taken, and Sierra was growing more and more angry every time he spoke.

It was him. It was Psi who was getting under her skin like an infection. It was Psi being a smartass that was making her irritated like she'd been awake for a week without being able to blink. It was Psi who had shown up, and then suddenly, all these failures, these losses that Synthcorp had been immune to had begun to pile up.

"Who the hell do you even think you are?!" The girl suddenly erupted towards their assigned partner with anger that surprised even Beta, who shot his head to face her. "It's bad enough that I got teamed up with this joyless Kantoean damn robot, but you're freaking useless! Beta at least understands why we need to be subtle, when to use full force, or when we just need to kick people into the gutter, but you're just - What's wrong with you, you freaking masked mystery maniac?!"

"Masked maniac?" Psi questioned, turning his body to face Sierra front on. "You know, when you're angry, you don't think too much about what you're saying, do you? You going on about understanding subtlety? That's amusing. Heh, I think I prefer you like this. You're easier to make fun of when your backs to the wall."

"Wanna test me?" A Pokeball was torn from Sierra's belt, and her left eye narrowed while her right one was left wide open. It made her look psychotic, but her ruthless personality was very real. Her merciless, cocky persona was still very much intact. "Give me a damn chance, Psi. I'll knock you and that shit attitude of yours into the next damn oblivion!"

"Try it." Psi edged her on further by reaching into his clock and retrieving a Pokeball all of his own. His stance indicated a calm confidence in his own abilities, as well as those of his Pokemon. "Please. Just try it. I'm begging you."

"Cease this."

Both agents stared at their resident leader, whom remained emotionless in his facial expressions, but this marked one of the few times something even remotely close to desperation, worry and concern for those under his command was detected in his voice. The situation was that dire. It broke the shell around Beta like a walnut, and was forcing him to at least, even slightly, convey some emotion.

Synthcorp had little to no fail-safes for when it came to something like this. Victory had to be achieved no matter what, otherwise there was literally no point in doing this sort of thing. Victory was the only conclusion that could be attained. That was it. That was all they could have, and all they would ever accept. Evolution didn't accept failures, so why were they supposed to?

So this setback... This news having gotten out about their operations on Pokemon and their attempts to steal powerful ones from trainers... This had dragged their name through the mud. To the rest of the world, Synthcorp was now as low a bunch of criminals as Team Rocket was... That was huge.

A failure that wouldn't be tolerated unless results were achieved.

"We are faced with a failure state should we refuse to compile our efforts and do what we must to gain victory." Beta stated bluntly and matter of factly. "We have a duty that we must perform, lest we desire the repercussions of not achieving our objectives. Gamma should be an example of what failure will result in."

Both parties froze in place, but their emotions were etched into their very beings. Sierra was showing fury and anger, impatience and a desire for violence, something to take out these frustrations on. The more ruthless the better, the more force she could use, the better she'd feel. There was a fire in her eyes, and a fang in her teeth, clenched tightly, ready to unhinge and bite someone if that was what it was gong to take to win this damn fight.

On the complete flipside, Psi was showing none of these traits. Instead, his stance showed only that of someone calm, knowing in his abilities. He knew he was good, and he knew that Sierra, no matter now much she would talk down to him, would not be able to withstand the salvo that he would unleash on her if she went through with this battle. Small movements in his limbs indicated him relaxing however, listening to the logic that Beta was presenting to him.

"Hrmm..." The hooded assailant made a quiet noise with his throat, before he decided to stand upright like normal. "Of course. I apologize. Fighting further would only serve to delay us." His apology was so insincere that even Beta picked up on it, but it was clear he wasn't going to bow his head and actually say he was sorry, because he wasn't at all. "Beta, what do you suggest?"

"You just gonna ignore me?!" Sierra yelled, her breathing now having become ragged and irregular. Her nails dug into her skin in her cheek under her right eye, allowing blood to slip out of its bodily container.

"Yes." Psi responded simply to the enraged girl, and then totally blanking her from his own mental perception. she probably screamed something at him, but he didn't even acknowledge it. To the calculating Kantoean, he inquired into the plan. "Beta?"

"Task assignment to acquire powerful Pokemon is still in effect, and therefore, we must acquire these Pokemon. However, those Pokemon are far too dangerous with their trainers nearby, and ourselves in the vulnerable open spaces. Logic would indicate a separation of trainer and Pokemon, yet these tactics have proven inefficient against these particular individuals." Beta glanced between the two of his partners. "I suggest an illogical action in order to achieve success against our opponents."

"Which is?"

"The containment of both trainer and Pokemon."

* * *

Clemont had seen a large number of cases like this throughout Lumiouse city, and he had to say, he was getting kind of sick of seeing these crimes getting away unpunished. Every time he had to hear a new one had been committed, he would sigh in despair and frustration. He had finally been able to settle into the routine of his Gym leader duties, and his inventing, and making time between the two to develop his relationship with Korrina before these investigations had shown up. Inventing and Pokemon league duties had taken the back seat. He made time for Korrina were he could, and she was incredibly understanding of the stress he was under, and he was so thankful for that, and he told her that every time he saw her...

He just wished that he didn't have to.

Yet another building had been attacked, robbed, ransacked, and the staff either injured or completely ignored. The object stolen? Something completely superfluous. In this case, it was some sort of wiring contraption - And it held absolutely no relation to the other things that had been stolen.

What was the relationship between the stolen objects?

Who was even stealing them?

And for what reason were they even being stolen in the first place?

Clemont had been through too many theory meetings with the police to even remember what the current theory was supposed to be. At this point, he was working through the fatigue and trying his best not to fall asleep while investigating the site.

He sighed. What a day he had had. Inspections, reports, and all manner of things had been wearing him down for a long time today.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind, not at all, but the issue here was that it was all the same thing - No new information. Nothing to go off of. Nothing to give them a lead or anything that they could use to acquire some sort of edge against their opponents.

They were chasing ghosts

He just wanted to take five minutes off, or find something that was going to help. Anything that was going to help.

Just one thing...

"Clemont!"

Sleepy eyes widened when he heard his name being called out by a voice he recognized very well.

When he turned around to track down the source, the sight of three travelers, one Kantoean, and two Kalosians, had never been a more welcome sight for the blond gym leader in his entire life.

He was going to get those five minutes off after all.

* * *

 **I know its short, and I know its been a long time, but this story is kind of the least important thing that's on my mind. I will complete it, of course I will, I promise you - But updates will be in between themselves. I will finish this story, I promise, but it will take time. i have other projects I want to work on, all the time, but this will get done. I hope you enjoyed it, and hapy new year all ^_^**


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